


Sundays

by Pandansca



Series: Regis Needs Some Ass, Too! [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Age Difference, Anal Sex, Bad Decisions, Best Friends, Betrayal, Boys Kissing, Caught in the Act, Cheating, Confessions, Confrontations, Crossdressing, Daddy Kink, Deepthroating, Dress Up, Dresses, Dressing Room Sex, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Face-Fucking, Fluff and Angst, French Kissing, Friends With Benefits, Friendship, Frottage, Gay Sex, Gentle Kissing, Hand Jobs, Handcuffs, High Heels, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Incest, Lipstick & Lip Gloss, M/M, Masturbation, Men Crying, Mirror Sex, Neck Kissing, Oral Sex, Parent/Child Incest, Romantic Friendship, Secret Relationship, Secrets, Sex Toys, Sex on Furniture, Sugar Daddy, Threesome - M/M/M, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:14:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 44,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22904545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandansca/pseuds/Pandansca
Summary: It's summer break after Noctis' first year of college. After being away for so long it was inevitable that he would want to spend it all with his best friend and his father. But as it becomes increasingly difficult to hide his true self, other secrets are wriggling their way from beneath the woodwork... And a shocking secret of Prompto's surfaces as well.All the dirty passionate moments behind closed doors come to a head in this third installment of the series. With blissful ignorance off the table for good, everyone's secret is out. But the question is... what will they do from here?
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Prompto Argentum, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Noctis Lucis Caelum, Noctis Lucis Caelum & Regis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Regis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum & Regis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Series: Regis Needs Some Ass, Too! [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1011906
Comments: 17
Kudos: 48





	1. Late Night Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is, guys! The long-awaited and sought-out third installment!! 😁 Thank you to everyone who has left lovely comments and asked about when this would finally come out! I know it was a long time coming, and I hope you all will enjoy the final little piece to this set! ❤💕  
> Before we start though, there ARE a couple of important things to note for old readers and newcomers alike, so please listen carefully!!  
> If you have not read the first 2 works in this series, it isn't necessarily required ( you can read it just fine by itself, but you might be a little lost and confused as to all the pairings we have going on here), but it is encouraged, probably, to understand this one. In my opinion, at least. I made sure to write it in a way that it could absolutely be read as a stand-alone and simply wrote in little explanations that covered the basic backstory and history of this plot. So if you are just now being introduced to this work and this series and want to read only this and not the others, then cool beans! That's all good! Or, of course, feel free to start from the beginning! ☺️✌  
> As for the specific cannon of this fic: where the last 2 works in the series could be read separately and with no relation to the other, this work falls COMPLETELY in line with the first 2 works as a true chronological trilogy. That being said, this means that the cannon is that Noctis and Regis have been having an incestuous relationship together (unbeknownst to Prompto) since Noctis was 18 (with the not explicitly sexual stuff happening a few years before even that) and Prompto has now been with Regis (unbeknownst to Noctis) since just before graduating highschool and all throughout summer break while Noctis has been away.  
> This means that (as should be NO surprise to anyone at this point) this installment will INDEED include a 3-some between Noctis, Prompto, and Regis. It has been a long-time coming since the 2nd installment in this series. That being said, there will be NO dancing around the subject; this WILL involve a full-on incestuous relationship between Noctis and Regis and WILL be descriptive about it. This will not be just a fic where both Caelums fuck Prom while staying in their respective lanes and not making eye contact or some shit and then call that a "3-some"... Nah. We goin' full dick in butt, penis in mouth, spitroast, DP, rimjob, AND whatever else I please to write between any combination of these 3 men when that time comes… lmao. So, if that is not something you care to force your eyeballs upon, turn back now and maybe just read "Saturdays", as that has purely Regis/Prompto content and no incest or talk of incest whatsoever.  
> For those of you who DO care for it, please go on ahead and enjoy yourselves thoroughly. 😏 The only thing I DID try to keep out of this fic were too much mention of Promnio and LuNoct, simply due to the fact that, while these relationships are still cannon, I wanted to put as much focus as I could on this particular plot and coupling.  
> With all of that out of the way, happy reading, everyone!!

**NOCT: You ready?**

Noctis thumped his head against the linosine's tinted window and stared out in usual disinterest after typing out a quick text to bis best friend. He sighed, his breath lightly fogging over the surface for a brief period of time before dissipating as stormy blue eyes surveyed the droll state of the world around him.

After a year of schooling abroad in Altissia he half expected Insomnia to change in _some_ form or another... But the towering skyscrapers that disappeared into the hovering smog and the overly crowded roads filled with tempered drivers and a cacophony of car horns were an underwhelming welcome wagon to say the least. The large city thrummed with life, same as per usual; with its endless supply of night clubs, shopping malls, office buildings, and overpriced apartments fit to bursting… It was nauseating. Enough to make his stomach flip with anxiety and anxiousness. Everywhere around him people stopped, stared, and pointed. Their lips whispered gossip and praises about the long, black limosine and the practical _celebrity_ of whom rode inside it; Noctis was no secret. The Caelum name was both a blessing and a curse but above all, Noctis hated and shied away from attention.

But all of those negative feelings melted away instantly at the promise of seeing Prompto and his family home after almost a full _year_ of being away in his first year of college. It was more than enough of a reason to have his lips eventually twisting upwards into a self-indulgent smile.

He missed the rambunctious little ball of hype and freckles. With Prompto, there had never been a dull moment in his life, even when things really _were_ dull. They'd always pass notes and hang out between classes. Sometimes Prompto would even allow Noctis to sleep the lunch period away, head resting on the blonde's lap as they basked in the sun atop the roof of their school instead of eating the healthy meal Ignis had packed for him.

Nowadays though, there was nothing to get him through the monotonous lectures from his college professors and the seemingly never-ending textbook chapters. Noctis was _so_ close to losing his Astrals-damned _mind_ that it was a wonder even to _him_ how he hadn't yet.

 **CHOCOBO: Are you** **_kidding?!_ ** **I've been ready for this as soon as you moved out!!**

Noctis schooled away the nostalgic pink from his pale cheeks as he felt the phone in his hand vibrate with a response from his best friend and smiled at the expectedly excited text.

_'Glad to see he hasn't changed on me… Not one bit.'_

**CHOCOBO: You remember how to get here, right? Or- well- I guess Nyx is the one I should be asking, right? Haha.**

Prompto ended up staying in Insomnia and going to a local community college, moving in with Gladiolus directly after his 18th birthday instead of taking the more expensive route and studying abroad like his Caelum counterpart. All of that was simply too expensive for someone like him, even _with_ the scholarships he was granted due to his grades. But that was okay. Gladiolus is a kind person. He made _more_ than enough money working for Noctis' father to support the two of them. The Amicitia never asked for any rent, merely the simple request that the blonde did the best he could in school and to have as much fun as he could while doing it.

So, as it was, this would be the first time Noctis picked up Prompto from Gladiolus' apartment instead of his parents' home.

The Caelum heir tapped the partition with the back of his knuckles, softly. And when his limo driver rolled it down a fraction to meet stormy blue eyes through the rearview mirror, he uttered, "Hey. Prom wanted to make sure you knew where you're going."

Nyx pushed out a breath of a laugh and gave a shake of his head. "The guy has _that_ little faith in my navigation skills, eh?" His pale blue eyes met his charge's once more through the mirror and they shone with humor as he added, "He _does_ know that Gladio and I were roommates back in the day, right?"

Noctis smirked as he settled back down into his seat and brought his phone screen up to his face to text out his response. "Nope. Thought I'd give you the honor."

**NOCTIS: Duh.**

**NOCTIS: Nyx says he knows the area like the back of his hand.**

The smirk faded a bit from his lips as he looked back out of his tinted window at the bustling world around them. With the stop-and-go traffic the way it was, it was a given that it would most likely take a good half hour or so just to get downtown.

He hated it; the crowds, the blaring noises and smells, the stares everywhere he went… Being hidden away at his father's estate was much better. There, there was no one who would see him and judge him purely based on his family name and not for who he was as an individual. It was silent and calm, and he had the familiar comfort of his friends and employees…

And his dad.

 **CHOCOBO: Really?! Great!! How long?! How long?! I'm** **_dying_ ** **here!!**

While it was true that Noctis normally never saw his father for more than a handful of minutes a week with the exception of Fridays even _before_ shipping off to Altissia, the distance and lack of in-person communication from the older man combined with the loss of being around his one and only best friend every day had cut deep.

The first few weeks of his boarding had been lonely and agonizing… Already an anti-social shut-in even in the best of times, Noctis made zero efforts to make friends or connect with his fellow classmates. He simply went to classes, sat in the back rows, took notes diligently, and shut himself inside of his dorm room until it was time to come back out again. He even ate _lunch_ inside of his dorm room instead of in the cafeteria or outside with the others. When he did speak, he was an awkward mess; hardly able to get a sentence out above a muted whisper. Nothing he said was out of confidence.

Lunafreya was his saving grace during the daylight hours.

Ever the diligent student, Noctis had always just _known_ that Lunafreya was destined to go to a top-notch college and excell in whatever profession that she chose. It was by pure coincidence alone that the blonde had also chose to continue her education in Altissia. And when their eyes met from across the hall on that first day of classes Noctis' face lit up in the fondest of smiles and he ran to pull her into a tight hug, spinning her around as she giggled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders so as not to fall out.

It was nice, spending time with her again… _Very_ nice. Noctis would never be able to share his deepest, darkest secrets… He doubted he'd be able to share _those_ details with _anyone…_ but Lunafreya accepted him for what information he did entrust her with. She didn't mind the fact that he enjoyed cross-dressing and even helped him improve his make-up application. They often went shopping together, buying up anything that caught their eyes.

He had come to terms a long while ago that he fancied her. Perhaps one day he'd actually muster up the courage to ask her out… Maybe. When he was ready.

After a while, his days got better. Between missing his best friend and missing his father, Lunafreya was there to help him out of his depressive episodes and take his mind off of the life he used to have in Insomnia. But though the days for the most part were taken care of, the nights were a different, _special_ kind of hell. A hell of which he could not speak. Not to _anyone_.

**NOCTIS: With traffic the way it is right now…?**

**NOCTIS: A week.**

Noctis squirmed in his seat, face heating as the flooding memories of Fridays' past came to the forefront of his mind, unbidden and tempting.

His father had come up with... _creative..._ ways of spending the time together that they craved… At first, it was phone calls, naturally. Silken, authoritative tones that burmed in Noctis' ears. Salacious words that reminded the young Caelum of _exactly_ everything that the two of them had done together in the past and promises of a plethora of new, adventurous acts that they could do once he came back for summer break… Acts that would have him hot and bothered and his body _aching_ for the reality… When that was no longer enough, Regis sent his son a brand new laptop. And if the older man hadn't originally intended for his son to use it for nothing but sending obscene, border-line pornographic videos of himself atop his uncomfortable dorm room bed, well… that's just entirely too damned bad, isn't it? Because that's exactly all Noctis used it for.

But, as fun as that all was, nothing was a substitute for the real thing. Noctis craved to be stretched open, filled to the brim, and _begging_ beneath his father's bodyweight.

And his cock twitched in delighted anticipation at the fact that, _finally_ , he'd have it.

 **CHOCOBO: ...** **_Please_ ** **tell me you're joking.**

**CHOCOBO: Noooooct, I've been waiting to see you all this time and you joke in a time like this?!?!**

**CHOCOBO: This is it.**

**CHOCOBO: I might actually die from lack of in-person friendship this time around.**

The Caelum rolled his eyes with a smirk as he typed out a response. "Nyx, ETA?"

The driver thought for a moment. Looked to his watch. "Trafic is finally clearing up a bit and our turn is coming up at this next intersection. Given Gladiolus lives down the back roads the rest of the way out, I'd say… ten minutes?"

**NOCTIS: You're an idiot.**

**NOCTIS: Hot Rod says we're ten minutes out.**

**NOCTIS: Try to hang on to your fleeting life just a bit longer. Otherwise I'll have to get Nyx to give you mouth-to-mouth.**

He nibbled along his lower lip and suppressed something he imagined would have been akin to a needy whine. _'I'd like some mouth-to-mouth with a certain someone right about now,_ that's _for sure…'_ It was only Wednesday. Friday was almost three whole agonizing days away… ' _Gods, I hope I don't pop a boner while Prom is around this summer… It would he hard to explain that away when the only people I'll be around is him and my dad…'_ Nope. The prospect of that was not a good thought at _all_ … He just prayed to the Astrals that Prompto was still a heavy sleeper. He wasn't a fan of holding in his voice.

The phone vibrating in his hand again had stormy eyes flitting to the text that popped up on the screen.

 **CHOCOBO: …Okay, that mental image had** **_no_ ** **right being that hot.**

He snorted out a laugh that had Nyx raising a brow from the driver's seat. "...Gross."

**...**

"NOCT!!!" Prompto practically- Well, no, this was actually _quite_ litteral -lunged through the opening that the car door provided and flung himself into his best friend's arms, squeezing him tightly.

Noctis' brows rose in surprise. "H-hey, Prom!"

Tears gathered in the corners of the blonde's eyes as he breathed in Noctis' scent and felt the warmth of his body against his own after so long apart. It wasn't as if he had other friends… Cindy from his physical science class and Aranea from that clothing store he frequented across town were nice enough and of _course_ Gladiolus treated him like an absolute treasure, but... all of it paled in comparison to how he felt when he was with Noctis. It was bone-deep and intrinsic; like the pull of a magnet. He never felt more calm and accepted than when he was by the other boy's side. "I've missed you so much, Dude!!"

Noctis could do nothing but offer a helpless look in response to Gladiolus' amused expression from where the older man was standing outside of the car. It was all he could do just to _breathe_ , but it was a welcomed embrace all the same. He did his best to hold Prompto just as tightly. After all, he missed him, too. He could feel the smile creeping across his face even before he was aware he was actually doing it. It felt _right_ to be this close to Prompto. Even if his bones were probably going to shatter soon with the force of their hug.

"Good to see ya, Princess."

Noctis managed a smirk, stormy eyes sparkling with humor through black fringe. "Right back at ya, Muscles. How's things?"

Gladiolus settled his hands upon his broad hips and gave Noctis a smile as he watched Prompto attempt to suffocate him. He gave a simple shrug. "Ah, you know… Same old, same old. It's never been a _loud_ job, but I have to admit it's been pretty boring and overly quiet with you gone."

The Caelum hummed as he let that information sink in for a moment. _'I guess that means Dad is still rarely at home. That means work hasn't slowed down any for him… I hope he's remembering to take breaks every now and then…_ ' "Really? Figured life would be anything _but_ boring nowadays, what with you guys living together now. You're giving it to Prompto day in and day out now, right?"

At that, the blonde finally let Noctis go with a little yelp, freckled face blushing furiously as he gave the other man a look and punched his shoulder. " _Noooct!! Shut uppp!!"_

The black-haired boy laughed. It was actually pretty adorable how shy Prompto still was when it came to outwardly discussing sex. Not so long ago the blonde was still a virgin, desperate to attract the bodyguard's attention any way that he could. Now, they were living together in not-so-marital bliss.

Even Gladiolus had a bit of pink dusting over his tanned cheeks at the comment. But, as always, he took it like a champ and came back with a, "Yeah, I'm surprised at how the guy can even _walk_ straight, myself. Ain't like he don't get pounded into the mattress whenever I got the time…"

" _GLADIOOO!!"_ Both men laughed heartily at the new and impressive shade of maroon Prompto's face had become. With a little huff, the boy crawled his way out of the car far enough to give his lover a quick peck on the lips. " _Bye_." His voice was an urgent, begging plea for the muscular man to go back inside and leave him to his shame, but it was all for naught once Gladiolus caught sight of a certain limousine driver rolling down the tinted window.

"Nyx, hey!" The younger men watched the older ones clap their hands together in a strong, manly handshake. "Been a while since our paths have crossed."

Nyx grinned. "Yeah, well- Ain't got much drivin' to do since the blackbird has flown the nest, so to speak. Still livin' in our old place, I see?"

Prompto baulked and Noctis failed at stifling a laugh through the back of his hand. "Hold the phone- _'your'_ old place?"

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Saw no reason to leave if the place still meets health and safety standards. Besides, the rent is affordable and it's only a few blocks away from my favorite book store. Haha."

Wide blue eyes bounced between Noctis and the others, ignoring the conversation at hand to throw an accusatory look at the other boy in the car. "And you _knew_ about it, Noct?!"

Noctis wiped the tears from his eyes and tugged his clueless friend close once more, if only to settle him a bit. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't?" Prompto pouted and he couldn't help but to smile at it. Even still, he spoke up in the blonde's defense. "Hey! Break the reunion up, you two. Prom and I have quality time planned and time stops for no one!"

Prompto nodded, vigorously. "Yeah! Summer break is only a month and a half long! I need to get all the gaming and binge-eating in that I _can_ with Noct before he has to go back!"

Nyx gave his old friend an apologetic smile. "Duty calls… See ya around?"

Gladiolus nodded. "Yup. Every day except Fridays and Saturdays." He blew his flustered lover a kiss before clapping the top of the limosine with his hand and taking a few steps backward.

"Sweet. Maybe this week we can hang at the bar and catch a round of pool?"

" _Guys!!"_

Amber eyes narrowed, slyly. "Pool? _Hell_ no. You swindled me last time. ...Darts?"

"Guys! _Hellooooo?!!_ We're talking to you!"

"You're on."

"Good.", Noctis interrupted with a roll of his eyes. The humor of the situation had mostly worn off shortly after Prompto's heart-touching speech about missing him. Now, for not the first time, all he wanted to do was get back to his childhood home as soon as possible. "Now that that's all settled, let's be on our way?" Prompto offered Noctis a little, grateful smile and he gave one in return. It felt nice to be back by his side.

"Alright, I don't wanna keep you guys." Gladiolus leaned inside of the open door where the two younger boys were sitting and puckered his lips. "Kiss me goodbye?"

Noctis scoffed. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, you _wish_ , Princess. I was talking to Prom."

Prompto blew raspberries and gently pushed away from Noctis to lean out the door and kiss his lover goodbye for a final time that day. "See ya, Babe. Text me!"

"I will. See ya."

As he settled back in, Gladiolus shut the door and waved goodbye as Nyx pulled the limosine back onto the road and eventually off into the sunset. As the trio made their way again, slowly, through the bustle of the big city, the two boys occupied themselves by getting comfortable and assisting each other in King's Knight.

It was mostly quiet for a while, save for the arcade-like RPG sound effects from their mobile games and the occasional witty banter. And during that time, Noctis couldn't help but dwell on the seemingly insignificant comment that Gladiolus had made earlier about his work hours. ' _That's new… I wonder how come? Gladio's never complained about his off days as far as I know… Maybe he just wanted some more time off to spend with Prom?'_ Unable to shake the question from his mind, he proddingly pushed his shoulder into Prompto's to get his attention before finally voicing, "So, Gladio gets Saturdays off too, now?"

"W-what?" The blonde jumped a bit at the prodding and sudden question. When Noctis cast stormy eyes in his direction to see what was up, the freckled boy was blushing. "Oh! Um- Yeah! He does."

Noctis quirked a brow. _'What's with him?'_ His stare continued, yet Prompto remained strangely adamant about not looking directly back at him, instead attempting to shield his freckled face with his phone. It was… odd, to say the least. But, then again, Prompto was the very definition of _'odd'_ so, in a way, he was acting perfectly normal. He pressed on, turning back to his game. "How come? Is it so that the two of you can spend more time together?"

"U-uh, no… not really? I mean- I see him _sometimes_ , sure. But every Saturday I go to a study group for pretty much the whole day. It's kinda our thing- mine and Cindy's, that is. You remember Cindy, right?"

He nodded. "Sure, I remember her... She graduated one year ahead of us. Pretty cool girl."

"Then there ya go!"

Noctis scrunched up his nose. "That didn't answer my question at all."

Prompto gave a stiff shrug. "Don't really know what to tell ya, Buddy." Noctis frowned slightly at the genuinely apologetic tone. "I've never really asked him, but I don't think it's because he asked for it… I guess since I'm always gone on Satirdays anyways, I've just never thought about it before?"

Well. Nothing he could really argue, there. An anticlimactic end to an otherwise interesting development. _'Gods, if I'm this interested in the bodyguard's work schedule than I must need way more of a life than I thought I did…'_ He shook his head and focused back on their game, dropping the subject. ' _Get it together, Caelum. It's no big deal.'_

"Ha!! I beat your high score!"

"What?! How?!"

"Hahaha!"

"No, seriously, _how?!_ "

**…**

"You still got your key?"

Noctis furrowed his brows a bit as he searched his pants pockets, one after another. "You think I'd forget to bring the key to my own house?"

Prompto shrugged from behind him. "I dunno. It's a possibility?"

He rolled his eyes. ' _I need a nap…'_ The ride from Prompto's apartment to his father's estate took far longer than anticipated. Already strung out and exhausted from the uncomfortable plane ride, the fact that traffic was far more _'stop'_ than it was _'go'_ hadn't helped in lessening the boy's desire for his large, soft bed. But he couldn't sleep even if he'd tried. Prompto was giddy and excited; practically vibrating from the contact high that being alongside his best friend provided. And he'd be lying if he said that he hadn't been looking forward to this moment for weeks as well. If he fell asleep now, he'd just wake up depressed. "If I ever grow to be _that_ senile, shoot me. Put me out of my misery before I have the chance to infect you, too."

A chuckle. "Oh, but being forever sleepy enough to cat nap the whole day away is alright? You know, _most_ people would consider that a coma."

"A coma actually sounds _great_ right about now. Jet lag is a son of a bitch…"

"You'd better not, Sir! Don't even _think_ about falling asleep on me!"

"Don't worry, I won't." Eventually Noctis' fingers knocked against a familiar metallic jingling and he looked back at Prompto with a smug smirk. "...See? Told you I didn't forget it."

"That's good. Thought I'd actually have to shoot you for a second there. Good to know I didn't have to lose a friend on this day."

Noctis laughed heartily. "You dork." He stuck the key in and turned the lock before taking a duffel bag in each hand and kicking in the door wide enough to slip through. With a breath, he offered, "You wouldn't have the guts to kill me! You cry like a baby during those parts in the movies where the hero gets infected by the zombie bites."

"And?" The blonde feigned a dramatic and over-acted persona. "Is it so bad, to have a heart of gold and the spine of a jellyfish?"

As soon as he stepped through the threshold, Noctis' soul felt… _home_. At ease. He stepped to the side to allow Prompto room to come inside and smiled, deep blue eyes roaming over the familiar structure and comforting decor; that little nick in the wall where he had played indoor football with Prompto a little too roughly, the framed photos of him and his other various family members, the etched wood of the stairwell, the antique ornate rug that extended through the hallway, the spot in the foyer where his mother used to keep record of his height through his early years... Nothing had changed in the year that he had been gone. Everything was exactly as he'd left it.

Well, _almost_ the way he'd left it.

The heavenly smell of baked goods he was detecting wasn't too often a reoccurring treat from his youth, but it met Noctis' nostrils in an unexpected surprise that had his stomach growling, audibly.

He wouldn't be able to mistake _that_ scent anywhere.

"Oh my _Gods_ , Iggy's been baking!", both boys said in unison and grinned at one another as they seemed to have read each other's minds. The bags were dropped to the floor, uncared about as they both darted in a mad dash through the hallway, the dining room, and into the kitchen. When at last they were there, using the island counter to break their movement, the boys were both slightly flushed and panting messes.

Startled by the sudden intrusion, Ignis looked up at the two of them from the cake he was in the middle of frosting. But it wasn't just cake; it was _plural_ ! There were _multiple_ cakes, pies, cookies, tarts, and even an assortment of brownies, all strewn out and sitting atop the granite counters.

"Holy shit.", Noctis breathed, "Iggy, you pregnant or something?"

Prompto snickered. "Sweet tooth much?"

Seafoam eyes sparkled from over wirey frames and Ignis straightened with a dazzling, ever-handsome smile. "Noctis! Welcome home! And a fine 'hello' to you too, Prompto. Will you be staying long?"

"All summer." The freckled boy's mouth hung open as he took it all in. "Oh, and by the way? Marry me, Iggy."

The cook chuckled with a shake of his head. He wiped his floury hands along his black apron. "And again, for the hundredth time, _no.._. Haha."

Prompto faked a small pout before moving to the fridge in search of a beverage. It had been far longer than he thought it had been since a sprint like that. "Worth a shot."

Ignis rolled his eyes, fondly. " _Too_ many shots. You've been asking me to marry you since the day we've met."

The blonde shrugged, nose still buried in the fridge. "Can you blame a guy?"

Noctis' eyes widened as he looked the mouth-watering assortment. He reached for a cookie. "What's with all the sweets, Specs?"

Before pale fingers could swipe up a treat Ignis smacked Noctis' hand away with a disapproving look. "No sweets before finishing your vegetables."

The Caelum scoffed. "Then why lay them all out?!"

The cook crossed his arms over his chest with a smirk. "Incentive for finishing your dinner."

At that, Prompto closed the refrigerator doors, bottle of soda in each hand; one for him, one for his friend. "What's for dinner?"

"I thought that since the young man of the house has finally returned, I'd make one of his favorites: skewered, wild trout-" Noctis' face lit up. "-atop lemon-herbed rice, and a heaping side of quinoa and black beans." Noctis' face fell. ' _Just as predicted.'_ Ignis continued, "I went to the farmer's market this morning and bought all the ingredients fresh, straight out of Duscae."

The Caelum scowled as the blonde next to him laughed and pushed a soda into his hands. "...I knew this looked too good to be true. I _hate_ beans..."

"Yes, but your father loves them."

At the mention of his dad, Noctis perked. "So- dad's coming to dinner?!" He could feel his heart leaping in his throat. His dad was _never_ home in time for dinner on a weekday that wasn't Friday. He was always in the middle of so many projects that it seemed like the man barely had time to _sleep_ , let alone eat. _'I can't believe it! He's actually taking off to see me!'_

But those happy thoughts were snatched away like an umbrella caught in a monsoon as apologetic seafoam eyes turned to him with a familiar frown. One that he'd seen many, many times after asking that exact question throughout the years. "Well… no… He informed me that he will be working late again this evening... But I figured it would be a nice surprise for him when he reheats dinner after coming home."

That heart in Noctis' throat sunk straight down into his stomach like a block of lead and made him feel twice as queasy. The disappointment left a bitter taste in his mouth and he couldn't push away the pang of resentment that pierced him. How many times now, had he heard that line? "...Oh… I see." It figured... He shouldn't have gotten his hopes up. He knew what kind of a work schedule his father had. ' _Still… I hoped that maybe he'd at least take a few minutes off to meet me at the door today or something… even only five seconds would have been better than nothing at all…'_ A nagging voice in the back of his mind was telling him that his father didn't care enough to see him as soon as he arrived. ' _Did I do something wrong…? Does he not want me like I want him anymore…?_ ' All those nights, unable to sleep while yearning for the warmth of his father's embrace. All those moments of passion, eyes closed, the ghost of the older man's touch behind his eyelids… All the rushed, random phone conversations and late-night Skype calls… and Regis didn't even _try…_?

Two freckled arms encircled Noctis' shoulders from behind and pulled him in for a hug. Prompto rested his chin on his friend's shoulder and uttered a quiet, sollumn, "...I'm sorry, Noct…"

The sentiment was appreciated, but it did little to relieve the disappointment that weighted his body down. Noctis knocked his head against his friend's and barely felt the pain. It paled in comparison to the turmoil he was pushing through on the inside. "...It's ok, Prom." He shrugged the younger boy off him and gave the best false smile that he could. It hurt. "...Hey! Let's go play some games until diner's ready."

He could feel their concerned stares boring into him and he hated it. Before a word could be said in response by either man Noctis turned on his heel and sprinted off toward the living room.

**…**

The night was quiet except for the chirping of far-away crickets and the nearby ticking of the bedside alarm clock but Noctis could hardly hear them over the rhythmic beating of Prompto's heart. He focused on it, closing his eyes and hugging the body in front of him tighter. Prompto was warm and his sweater was soft and the hands that began to rub up and down his spine helped to chase away the negative thoughts that still lingered after the day's disappointments.

"...Noct?"

Noctis inhaled his friend's scent; deeply, slowly, before giving a soft exhale. "...Yeah?"

"...You still got me."

His lips upturned into a thankful smile. It was true. No matter what, Prompto would always be there. He was ever at his side. "Thanks, Prom… I know."

A short silence filled the space between them. Freckled fingers roamed through black locks, causing the Caelum to practically purr as his body relaxed entirely. Sleep was doing it's best to drag Noctis into its greedy clutches. "...Anything I can do to help?"

Noctis thought on it for a moment.

A flash of a whim; the soft, exploitative touch of lips. An exhale. Fingertips, ghosting up his ribs, gliding over his nipples. Pressure. Pleasure.

It _shocked_ him how much the imaginary images of his best friend turned him on, dick growing half hard within his pajama pants.

He shook his head. Shifted his hips away a bit, before the other boy could notice his shame. ' _No… I won't go there.'_ He longed for the sexual touch of another, but he wouldn't put Prompto in the place of the person he actually wanted. It wouldn't be fair to play with his best friend's feelings, only to sate some pathetic desire. Besides, Prompto had Gladiolus. He wouldn't just be ruining one friendship, but two.

No. He'd do his best to move on and try to be his normal self.

"...Nah… I'm fine just like this."

A yawn. "Okay… Night Noct."

A sleepy mumble. "...Night."

**...**

**DAD: I apologize again, Noctis. Truly, I do.**

Dark brows furrowed as stormy eyes peered through the darkness of the living room and into the brightness of his phone screen. Taking a brief moment from the mind-numbing video game violence, Noctis set aside his game controller in favor of typing up a hasty reply. Despite how fun the day was turning out to be with a video game marathon and and endless supply of snacks from Ignis, he was still angry with his father and wasn't about to let him off easily.

Even the hope of perhaps waking in the middle of the night in order to catch a rare glimpse of him had proved futile. Due to the jet lag and the refusal to take one of his usual naps, he ended up sleeping deeply well through the night and into the following afternoon. He hadn't woken up until well past two in the afternoon, leaving Prompto a bored, antsy wreck. The blonde took out his revenge, however, by guilting him into a short jog around the block (stealthily followed by Gladiolus, of course. A Caelum went nowhere without proper protection.).

It nearly _killed_ him.

**NOCTIS: I know you are. But that doesn't make it any better on me.**

He tossed the phone aside with a sigh and scooped the controller back up, helping Prompto to shoot the many policemen that were hot on their tails.

Prompto scooted up until he was sitting on the edge of the couch cushions and leaning in as far as he could, tongue snaking out and eyes narrowing in frantic concentration. His fingers pounded the buttons as if it was the only thing that would save him from an actual death. "Hurry, Noct! There are too many of them! We're about to be surrounded!"

Noctis crinkled his nose in mock offense and shoved his side against the blonde's as protest. "Hey, _you're_ the one who accidentally ran over that NPC! The police wouldn't be on our asses if you knew how to drive like a _civilized_ person." From beside him he could feel his phone vibrate and his hair stood on end.

Prompto snickered and shoved Noctis in return. He threw his voice to be deeper and raspy, like some stereotypical movie villain. "You can't wash the blood from these hands, Noctis. I'm a _killer_ . And killin' is what a killer _does_ ." Their video game characters shot at the most recent round of neighborhood heros before stealing a civilian's car and booking it down the road. Only once they were relatively safely on their way to a garage where they could change the look of their new stolen car to throw off the police's trail did Prompto scoot back and relax against the back of the couch once more. "Besides, they were _Jay-walking_ ! Doesn't that count for _anything_ in this town?!"

Noctis smirked and sat down the controller to lift their shared bottle of soda to his lips and take a deep swig. After wiping the wetness from his lips with the back of his hand, he shot back, "Apparently not. For some reason the brutal hit-and-run of said Jay-walker is far _greater_ of a crime... Who knew, huh?" Another vibration from his phone had every cell in his body pinpointed on the tiny plastic device. This time he couldn't control the need to snatch his phone up. "Hey- you can pick the paint job this time."

"Sweet! Chocobo yellow it is!"

Good. Prompto was distracted for a moment.

**DAD: It's hard for me too, Noctis. But I have a dream and I wish to see it through to the end. That is why I strive so hard. I do this for myself, yes. But I also do it in great part for you. When I'm gone, you'll be the one to inherit this legacy. I want to ensure what you take on is something marvelous. Not half-assed.**

He scowled at his screen with a huff. He didn't _care_ about any of that! Whether he took over a well-known, famous, loved business or a start-up, unknown company made little difference to him. It wasn't _his_ dream, it was his _father's_ dream. Perhaps all that stuff would become more important to him in the future, when he was more complete in his college studies and the reality of the situation was more all-encompassing. But for now, all that statement did was trouble him.

He _understood_ what his dad saw; the company he'd worked so hard to start and bring up like another child. Something precious, with so much time put in, he didn't want to lose it. It wasn't as though he thought of his father as delusional… He knew how much it meant to his father, not to mention how famous and wealthy it had made them… But Regis was getting older and much, much more tired than he used to be… It _worried_ Noctis. What if he overdid it…? What if his body gave out on him and Noctis wasn't there to help? His father wasn't old enough, in his opinion, to need to be let off work. But Noctis knew that the only way the older Caelum was going to let up the workload and take time for himself was by taking the business out of his hands and into his own.

He wasn't ready for that. Not yet. There were still many more years of learning to come before that would be a reality.

"You good?"

Noctis startled at the sudden question. "H-huh?" Prompto was giving him a curious, almost worried expression. But he quickly brushed it off with a practiced smile. "Yeah."

The blonde turned back to their game and Noctis' phone vibrated with a text once more.

 **DAD: I know that it doesn't make up for my absence, but before I left to the office today I procured you a little...** **_gift_ ** **... as my way of apologizing... I hope that it relieves the sting I know you're feeling in your heart, if only a little, and instead helps to stoke that excitement for our upcoming quality time together in a few days.**

Noctis gasped under his breath, softly, and straightened in his seat a little too quickly to easily be played off without at least an inquiry. His brows raised and he shot Prompto a careful side-long glance from beneath his messy bangs through the darkness of the living room in case the other boy had noticed his strange behavior. But, luckily for him, Prompto was still having plenty enough fun on their game simply re-designing their characters' stolen car.

He kept his friend in the corner of his vision as his fingers moved on their own accord. His mind raced, curious and more than a little excited for what was to come. He could feel his heart beat a little faster in his chest, his palms starting to sweat. A familiar stirring between the juncture of his legs had him shifting atop the couch and restless.

But he wouldn't let that show to his father.

No, he enjoyed their ongoing game of cat and mouse. The continuous facade of coy and hard-to-get that drove his father wild. Until all of that pent-up sexual frustration could be released and he'd be devoured like bittersweet melted chocolate. Just the thought of it had a hot shiver run down Noctis' spine.

**NOCTIS: ...A present? Where?**

**NOCTIS: It had better be a good one. I already have so many...**

_'There's the fur coat, the plug, the blindfold, all those dresses and heels in my closet, my diamonds, the vibrator he shipped to me while I was in Altissia, that new lingerie set I'd had my eye on since last May… I wonder what he splurged on this time?'_ Though 'splurge' was hardly the word for it. They were so rich that they would never be able to spend his father's earnings in quite a _few_ lifetimes. Money was never an issue; Noctis knew that well and so did the rest of Insomnia. But for a boy who had everything, it was a difficult task shopping for him.

Noctis was quite simple to please, though. In all actuality, he enjoyed whatever made him look like the physical embodiment of sin. _And_ , of course, anything that he could enjoy within the comfort of his bed; either on his own or with his father.

And that's usually always what the gifts ended up being.

**DAD: If you're so eager to find out, why don't you go upstairs and have a look? I left it on your bed.**

The speed in which Noctis pushed himself up from his seated position had his head spinning and the world fading in and out of darkness for a few seconds. He shoved his phone in his pocket, pointedly avoiding contact with the curious blue eyes that blinked up at him and cleared his throat. He was thankful that they enjoyed playing their video games in the dark because he was sure that if Prompto was looking at him head-on he'd notice the pink across his cheeks. "I, uh- I gotta take a leak. I'll- be back in a minute." He avoided the look Promto gave him as he power-walked between him and the flatscreen, making his way across the living room and to the hallway.

"Too much soda?", Prompto teased.

"You know it!", he called back.

He took the staircase two steps at a time before rounding the corner and all but sprinting down the other hall and into his bedroom at the end of it. His fingers trembled slightly in anticipation as he flipped on the lights, illuminating the large room further than just the daylight through the tall windows would. And there, on his bed, was the present his father told him would be there.

Set neatly atop the blankets, the medium-sized black gift box with its glittery black ribbon holding it all together shone and sparkled under the overhead fluorescents like a dream. Noctis picked the gift up and turned it over, carefully. There was a bit of weight to it, but not much. And when he tested a little shake near his ear the item(s?) inside barely shuffled or made a noise at all. ' _Whatever's in this, it's tightly packed.'_ An excited smile split across the Caelum's face as he sat the present back on top of the bed and pulled the ribbon off. It was so beautiful and he was a sucker for glittery things; he had half a mind to keep it and try to find a realistic use for it, but he knew that he had none. A shame, really. But whatever would be inside the black box would be _much_ more useful and exciting. Which was why he wasted no time in grasping the lid and lifting it up to reveal the contents of his father's present.

"Oh… my… _fucking_ Astrals, he _didn't_..."

But Regis _did_.

There, resting beautifully atop deep blue satin, were the most beautiful pair of handcuffs Noctis had ever laid eyes upon. Not just merely your average, everyday handcuffs, the wrist cuffs were made of a thick, black leather that would adjust to a variety of wrist sizes by way of locking buckles. Lining the inside of the cuffs were a black faux fur that was so soft to the touch that Noctis felt the urge to wear them just for the sheer _hell_ of it. His mouth was already watering at the image of himself, bound and locked up, completely at Regis' control. And the cherry on top was the glistening gold chain that connected the two cuffs together. Long enough to allow _some_ form of movement- but not much. Oh, they were a _dream_!

It wasn't enough to erase the fact that his father hadn't been there to welcome him home, but it did get him out of the doghouse. _'For now, anyways.'_

Noctis reached out reverently to touch the soft inner lining of fur with the pads of his fingers and test the chain's weight within his palm. The smell of new leather was overwhelming, making his heart race and his breaths come out as heavy pants. ' _Oh hell, oh fuck, oh Godsdamned, oh-'_

"Noct?"

' _SHIT!!'_ Ice cold pinpricks of utter panic overrided the intense need he was feeling and the painful erection in his pants. With rapid movements spurred by fear, Noctis threw the lid back on his box and turned to meet Prompto's curious eyes with wide, frantic, guilty-looking ones.

He watched, heart in his fucking throat, as Prompto's gaze shifted between him and the gift hidden partially from view from the door frame of his bedroom. "Iggy says dinners ready. You were taking a bit, so I came up to let you know. Dude- why didn't you just use the downstairs bathroom? It was way closer!" The freckled blonde smiled a bit before walking towards him, curious. "What's that? A present? _Oh_! Is it for me?!" He looked like an excited puppy.

Noctis never threw a box on the floor and kicked it under his bed. It hurt his soul a bit to do so. It felt like he was kicking his own father under that bed, almost. But there was no getting around it. Prompto _could_ _not_ see what was in that box.

" **NO!!** " The words came out in a frantic rush, loud and abrasive. It caused Prompto to stop in his tracks, expression a mixture between hurt and confusion. _Never_ had Noctis yelled at his best friend like that. And shortly after doing so he regretted it immensely. Noctis exhaled a shakey breath. Backtracked. "I-I mean, no. No, that was from my dad." A sharp, blonde brow raised in skeptisism and the Caelum threw his hands up in quick defense. "They were _really_ ugly shoes, Prom. Like- _aweful_! It would have been a crime to show them to you! ...I'm gonna go exchange them before the end of summer break, I just-" He rubbed at the back of his neck and shuffled the weight from one foot to the other. "-I didn't want you to see them and laugh at me..."

There was a short, deafening silence as Prompto just stared at him from across the way. Noctis' heart drummed violently as he awaited the answer. Those bright blue eyes were searing a hole into his very soul, leaving room for the shame and humility to flow out and slosh around in his already nauseous stomach. He could feel the sweat beading at his forehead and dampening the pits of his t-shirt. ' _Please, Prom, please buy it…! Please please please please please pl-'_

"... _That_ ugly, huh?" Relief hit Noctis so hard he felt like he might just pass out. But Prompto's laugh kept the strength in him as he worked to laugh along. " _Astrals_ , you'd think with all that money your dad could afford a sense of fashion relevant to this century… I mean, _his_ clothes look pretty great. I guess he thinks the youth of today wear tacky stuff?"

"Yeah, story of my _life…_ Must just be a 'dad' thing… So, you said something about the food being ready?" Noctis tried to calm his heartrate as he walked up and pushed the freckled boy out of the room along with him in the facade of being eager to travel back into the kitchen for Ignis' food. And he was excited for it. But if the now awkwardness of his gait and the throbbing, leaking sensation in the crotch of his pants was anything to go by, he was much more interested in his upcoming 'date'...

Prompto was none the wiser. That loveable, adorable idiot. "Yeah, should be. Just gotta set the table."

"Last one downstairs is a moogle!", Noctis called. And as his blonde counterpart dashed off in an effort not to be last, he shot off one last text to his father.

 **NOCTIS: You're forgiven.** **_This_ ** **time... Thanks for the toy, Daddy. 😘**

**…**

"Noct? Noooooooct?" A heavy weight atop his blanketed body rudely pulled Noctis from his world of darkness and peace. The Caelum's first instinct was to look and see what laid atop his back, but as soon as his deep blue eyes blinked open the harsh rays of daylight had him squeezing them shut once more and groaning in utter protest and despair. Why did the sun have to be so _bright_? "Hey- Noct! You gonna wake up today or what?"

Speaking of things that were bright like the sun…

Noctis shoved his face deep into the downy softness of his feather pillow with another low groan. How was it that the boy had so much energy?! They had been up well past 2AM! "...You have ten seconds to roll off me before I donkey kick you off this bed and into the afterlife."

The blonde did no such thing. Instead, he gave a teasing little giggle and played around with the baby hairs at the back of Noctis' neck. "Man… And here I thought you'd be excited to be awake on a Friday… Don't you normally do something with your dad?" The Caelum's eyes snapped open in remembrance. ' _Holy shit.'_ He felt Prompto shrug atop him, body splayed out over his own as he continued on with his little rant. " _Whatever_ you do, anyways…"

Noctis suddenly forced himself up, causing his friend to yelp in surprise before subsequentially being flung to the side by the force of his awakening. Sleepy, dark eyes widened as they blearily sought out his alarm clock. "What time is it?"

Prompto merely rolled onto his back with a lopsided smile, comfortable enough in his new location. He raised a watch-clad wrist to his face. "Uhhhh… eleven in the morning?" His hand fell back onto the comforter with a plop. "Iggy wasn't here to make us breakfast, so I ordered us some take-out." The blonde's eyes squinted in thought, suddenly. "...Come to think of it… I didn't see any maids paround, either. The mansion's completely _empty_. What happened, did everyone get raptured or something?"

His shoulders tensed. He had to force them to relax. _'Oh, right… Prom's never been to my house on a Friday before.'_ And with good reason.

Noctis shrugged, trying his best to tamper down his rising panic and look nonchalant as he sat up properly and slid out of bed and onto his feet. "Dad gives everyone Fridays off. Says there's no need to have everyone here to watch over me when he can just do it himself."

Prompto pursed his lips as he contemplated that. "Hmm… I _guess_ that makes sense… Still seems like overkill to me, though." The blonde abruptly stretched before sitting up with a smile, bright eyes following his friend as Noctis walked into the bathroom and looked over his sleep-disheveled appearance with a disappointed groan. "I'm not getting kicked out too, am I? Haha."

Noctis' voice was entirely deadpan and serious as he immediately shot back, "You are." He raked his hands through his fringe and crinkled his nose. '... _I look like a fucking wreck and no one even fucked me up good enough to warrant it… A damned tragedy.'_ He turned to turn on the shower. If it was already eleven in the morning then that only gave him maybe two hours tops to get ready. 

" _What?!_ " The Caelum tried to block out the flood of guilt that threatened to drown his heart as his friend's disappointed voice rose over the sound of hard water pounding against the tiled floor. "Come _oooooon-_!! Why not?!" It didn't work.

He pulled his shirt off over his head and stepped out of his boxers and pajama pants. "You _know_ why, Prom." It wasn't as if this was the first time they'd had conversations similar to this one. Normally, Prompto would back down and give him his space and time. But, due to being separated for so long, the freckled boy was clinger than normal, unwilling to give up any of their time together…

With a hand, he tentatively checked the temperature of the water. _'Nope... Not hot enough yet.'_

Prompto looked away from the cracked door so that he wouldn't invade his friend's privacy. He rolled his eyes in defiance before flopping back down onto the bed. "What do you guys even _do_ , anyways...? Are you both top secret agents that fight crime once a week or something?"

Noctis stepped into the spray and let the water run over his body as he listened to the blonde's ridiculous inquiries. "Of course not!" The black-haired boy shook his head incredulously before reaching for the shampoo. "Sometimes I really wonder what goes on inside that head of yours, Prom. I mean- _secret agents_ ? _Really_?"

"Okay, so maybe not _that_ …"

"It's only for today, Prom. You'll still be back with me tonight…" After rinsing, he reached for the conditioner. "Why don't you go to the arcade with Gladio or something?"

"I cant." Noctis could hear the audible jealousy and irritation in the blonde's voice when he explained, "Him and Nyx are hanging out at the bar tonight and I'm not old enough to get in…"

He frowned. He truly felt terrible, he really did… Just… not terrible enough to skip out on a dicking down from his dad. ' _Gods, I'm fucked up...'_ The Caelum thought on the topic for a moment as he rinsed. "Arcade?"

Another dejected response. "Going to the arcade is no fun alone… Without _you_ there to beat at everything, what's the point?"

Noctis snickered at that. "You _wish_ you could beat me at everything."

Prompto laughed, openly and light-heartedly. "Are you an amnesiac now? I _always_ do!"

Noctis smiled at the little giggle he heard from the other room, happy that they seemed to be going in the right direction now, and thought a little bit more as he began washing his body. Finally, it came to him. "Hey! What about that shooting range you used to go to when we were in high school?"

"Yeah, you're right!" Prompto had enthusiasm and happiness in his tone once more. "It's been _forever_ since I've been there! ...You think I'm still any good?"

Noctis shrugged as he turned off the shower and opened the stall door. "Maybe? I mean- I don't think raw talent like you have just- goes out the window, you know? You might need a bit of brushing up, but I bet you're still the same old sharp shooter we all know and love." When he walked back into his bedroom with his towel tied around his waist and another draped over his shoulders Prompto was already halfway done getting dressed. He laughed. "Geez, that excited?"

Prompto nodded and shot his friend a sheepish grin as he pulled up his jeans. "I am, yeah! To be honest, after getting caught up in starting my relationship with Gladio and then all my college work, I had no time to practice and so I'd completely forgotten about the shooting range… I've been missing out on so much!" Noctis sat on his bed and watched the freckled boy enthusiastically lace up his shoes. "Um- what time should I be back?"

"Let's say... nine? I'll make sure take-out is here by the time you get back. What do you want?"

"Umm… chinese?"

"Chinese it is. Then we can start that monster movie marathon like we talked about?"

The blonde beamed and made sure his phone and wallet were safely secured in his pockets. "Bet!" He gave a little wave. "Well, I'm off now. Wouldn't want to come between your precious _'Daddy Time'_ ." There was no ire in his words, Noctis knew. It was simply a harmless joke. But all the same, he couldn't help but to tense and press his lips together anxiously, fingers digging into the duvet. Prompto had no idea just _how_ true of a statement that was... "See you at nine! Have fun, Noct!"

Noctis waved back almost hesitantly with a sweet, thankful smile as his friend walked out of his room. But as soon as the blonde disappeared through the door Noctis sat as still as a statue, heart pounding in his ears as he listened for the rapid footfalls atop the stairs leading downt to the foyer and then the opening and closing of the front door. Only after that did he move, hopping up to walk towards the window and watch Prompto. He hid mostly behind the curtain and watched as the blonde bounded down his long and winding driveway. As he exited through the gate and pulled out his phone. And then, finally, as a taxi pulled up and took him away.

Noctis _ripped_ himself from the curtains and sprinted straight to his duffel bag, still strewn about on the floor alongside Prompto's. His hands pawed and pulled out various articles of clothing and left them laying next to him along the floor. ' _What to wear, what to wear…?'_ A quick double-check at the alarm clock on his bedside table told him that he only had perhaps half an hour at most until his father arrived. No time at all to get as prettied and as dolled-up as he'd liked. The elegant dresses in his closet would be too much effort. He'd have to go with one of the items Luna had gifted him during his college semester.

After a few more minutes of rushed searching, Noctis settled for a comfortable beige long-sleeved crop top and some black leggings that settled comfortably at his natural waistline. Afterwards, he slipped on a pair of white keds. ' _It'll have to do.'_ Next was his hair and make-up. He hurried into his adjoining bathroom and hastily wiped away the fog that still clung to the surface of his mirror from the shower and got a good look at himself. There simply wouldn't be time for everything he wanted to do. ' _A more natural look it is, then.'_ He applied a gloss to his lips and some mascara and called it a day.

And right on time, too. Because even from his bedroom he could hear the iron creaking of the estate's front gate opening, allowing inside what was no doubt to be one of his father's luxurious cars.

Noctis gave his still half-wet hair one more good fluffing before rushing downstairs to await his father in the foyer. He could hear nothing but his own heartbeat pounding in his ears as he waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Until finally, the lock on the front door slowly began to turn. The world fell into slow motion all around him and with a mixture of nerves and excitement he clutched the banister tightly as the door opened, eventually giving way to the sight of his father.

Their eyes met and for a split second Noctis felt as though he might faint. There Regis was, _finally_ , standing in the threshold and looking down upon him with such an intense softness that it took the younger Caelum's very breath away. It was as though the entire world had suddenly fallen into place all around him.

Regis sat his briefcase down upon the ground and closed the door behind him, his eyes never leaving those stormy blues that he knew so well. For a while, everything was still. Not a word was spoken as the charged atmosphere around them threatened to pop and give way like a fragile bubble. Noctis swallowed down his nerves as his father's pale green eyes slowly gazed up and down his body.

For a moment, fear gripped Noctis' heart. What if distance had changed him? What if it had changed _them..._ ? What if he wasn't dressed up enough today? What if the version of himself that indulged in traditionally feminine clothes and items was the _only_ version of himself that this father found attractive…?

But those thoughts were rejected as ever being a possibility before they could even fully form. Because a handsome smile graced Regis' bearded face and he opened his arms wide so as to offer his son a hug. "...Hello, Noctis." His voice was so soft, so _tender_ ; barely above a whisper. The tone that a lover might use… Only two words. But they held so much emotion and _love_ within them that Noctis felt as though he might just faint.

The Caelum heir bit his lower lip with a tight smile. He tried to contain the tears of joy that burned behind his eyes, but the effort was futile. "H-hey, Dad." He sniffled. Clutched the banister tighter.

Regis frowned and dropped his arms. "What's wrong, Son?"

"I-I… I thought that maybe… Maybe you didn't want me anymore… Like this?" The younger Caelum gestured vaguely at himself and his casual, comfortable attire. It hurt him inside, to see his father's frown. To give those worries in his head voices. A life. He dreaded to think of what his father must have been thinking about him then. How horrid he must look with those tears beginning to fall down his cheeks despite his best attempts at holding them back.

This was supposed to be a _happy_ moment, damned it! It wasn't supposed to _be_ this way! Why was he making it this way?

"Noctis, Darling, _no..._ !" There was genuine hurt in Regis' tone. Shimmering in his eyes. "...I'd _never_ think of you like that!" Visibly disappointed in the false implications his recent actions had caused, the older Caelum let out a breath and raked a hand through his styled-back hair, messing it up slightly. A few strands of his bangs fell in his face. "I _assure_ you- no matter _what_ you choose to look like, Noctis, I love you for _you…_ Nothing is going to change that."

With a relieved gasp, Noctis lunged forward and _threw_ his arms around his father, drawing him in and holding him close. His shoulders shook as larger arms wrapped around him without hesitation, pulling him even closer still. " _Daddy…_!" The word was spoken over and over again. Like a wish. Like a prayer to the Astrals, wettened by his emotions. He was overwhelmed with relief, yet he couldn't stop sobbing. " _Daddy, I love you! I love you so much…!_ _I've missed you!_ " The smell of Regis' cologne and the feel of expensive cloth were both nostalgic and somewhat calming as Noctis pressed his face against Regis' chest and breathed in deeply, trying to calm himself. His father's hand began to slowly glide up and down his trembling back, and he was grateful for it.

They stayed like that for a long, long while. Neither one said a word as they just... _felt_. Felt their unspoken feelings surround them and envelope them like a warm, serene cocoon.

But eventually, that silence had to break.

"Noctis…" His name was a silky, hopeful beckon and Noctis was already weak in the knees with it. Obediently, he pulled away just far enough to gaze into his father's eyes. He was so… _gorgeous_. Even now. He was overworked and tired, yes, but so so handsome; aged like a fine wine. Noctis was so lost in admiring every detail of that face that he hardly foresaw the fingers that ever so gently raked across the skin of his temple, pushing a few strands of deep black hair behind his ear. "...I've missed you, too."

Noctis expected the kiss that was to come. He was ready for it. _Gods_ , was he ready… Regis' hand cupped his son's jaw, coaxing him forward as he leaned in, _finally_ closing the gap.

There was no room for words. Regis' mouth moved over Noctis' slowly yet passionately, and even though there was so much he wanted to say, to _convey_ , all Noctis could do was hum in utter delight against the sensation of familiar lips pressing against his own. The feeling of a tongue, coaxing his to join in their play. _'I've missed you too. So, so much. More than you'll ever know.'_ The younger Caelum gave himself to his father entirely. And when they pulled apart, Noctis was dazed and breathless in the best way possible. His eyes fluttered open before blinking up at his father with a satisfied, happy smile.

After a few panted breaths, he finally uttered, "Welcome home, Daddy."

Regis let out a deep chuckle before stepping back. His hands began to make short work of his now all-too-stuffy suit jacket, undoing the buttons. "And thanks to you and that magnificent kiss, it's certainly good to _be_ back. This house doesn't nearly feel as much like home as it does when you're in it."

Noctis watched the way Regis' arm muscles flexed as he shrugged out of the suit and slid the jacket off his body. At the way his white dress shirt clung to his muscular arms. The way his suspenders rested over his toned chest. Then, as Regis placed the jacket on the rack to hang, stormy eyes travelled lower still, until they caught sight of a bulge of a _different_ kind beneath his suit pants, no doubt brought on by their shared kiss. Noctis swallowed down the gathered saliva in his mouth at the sight of it, a similar heat stirring within his own neglected dick.

"...Are you hungry?" His eyes snapped up to meet his father's. Regis had a knowing, sultry smirk. He knew _exactly_ what his son had been looking at… And, Noctis was sure, the question was a double entendre.

Eating a meal, just the two of them, and catching up on each other's lives was a big part of their Fridays together. They had somewhat of a routine in that regard. But no. Today was different. Noctis didn't want to eat. The only thing he wanted to put in his mouth wasn't something they could scrounge up in the kitchen.

Noctis made a show of eyeing the other man's concealed erection and licked his lips. "... _Famished_ ." The desperation in his tone surprised him. He could feel the flush on his face searing his skin as their gazes met once more, his father's green irises beginning to be swallowed by his expanding black pupils. He _longed_ for it. Longed to taste him, to feel the weight of him on his tongue, in his throat. The thick, hot, musky semen settling within his stomach after he swallows it all down like a good boy. He _wanted_ to be a good boy for his father again. He'd waited so _long_. "...You?"

Regis nodded. Noctis could hear his breaths beginning to grow a bit more labored than previously, his chest expanding beneath his shirt. Two thumbs came up to Regis' shoulders before easily digging beneath his suspender straps and pulling them off his body to hang at his hips insteqd. _"I could eat all day_."

Noctis swallowed, his dick now fully erect and wanting within the confines of his tight black leggings. _Gods_ _damned_ that was probably the sexiest thing he'd seen the older man do. "... _Good_." He turned to saunter up the stairs and make his way to the bedroom, well aware of the way his father was watching the sway of his hips with each step as he ascended. Regis let out an almost predatory-like growl from behind him as he followed that sent a lightening-hot shiver down the younger boy's spine. Noctis could hear the heavy footsteps and the slight creak of the stairs not too far behind him. His heart pounded inside of his chest with anticipation for two large hands to grab him up.

But they didn't. Even though he could feel Regis' hot puffs of breath at the back of his neck and his body heat at his backside. The older Caelum never so much as tried to cop a feel.

Noctis cut off his oncoming pout as a sudden, _delicious_ idea popped into his head. He stopped suddenly at the top of the stairs and swirled around to smile down at his unsuspecting father. "I'll go get my _present_."

Regis' brows raised and a lustful grin spread across his bearded face. "A perfect idea, Darling." Noctis couldn't resist the urge to kiss him once more. He leaned down and closed the gap between them with the press of his lips, but it was far too brief for his liking. Regis pulled back just as he was getting into it in order to whispered next to his burning ear, "Would you like me to do you up? I can't _wait_ to see you chained to my headboard..."

Noctis moaned under his breath. He couldn't nod his head fast enough. " _Please?"_

Regis chuckled and parted from him with another quick peck of their lips. _Gods_ , he didn't want to part from them… "That's my Darling… I'll go make the bed for you."

After watching that perfect ass walk down the hall and disappear into his bedroom, Noctis scrambled into his own in order to obtain the ornate little box he had unceremoniously kicked under his bed.

**…**

"Nhh-" Noctis tested the restraints around his wrists, giving a little tug. The velvety soft faux fur of the inner lining prevented any bite that the black leather would have caused, much to his relief as well as his despair. Regis had made sure there wasn't much leeway as far as movement went, being sure to secure and wrap the normally reasonably-lengthed chain multiple times around one of the support posts in the headboard to keep the boy from being able to move from his current location.

But that was okay. Noctis didn't _want_ to move. He didn't _want_ to get away.

Still, he couldn't resist _attempting_ , at the least. It sent a thrill through his gut and straight to his now aching cock at the thought of being unable to escape despite his best efforts, and every failed attempt only added fuel to his lustful fire. The inability to remove himself from his father's bed was like a new form of drug, intoxicating him and making his thoughts fuzzy with the new, thrilling sensations. Sensations that weren't as prevalent until now; The sturdiness of Regis' bed, the feel of the downy mattress and silk sheets against his hot, bare back and ass, the almost audible drumming of his own heart within his chest, even the coolness of the air conditioning rushing over his nipples.

Things that were always _there_ but he'd never really noticed until he was forced in the same position for upwards of an hour with nothing else to focus on.

Noctis bit back a moan as his stormy eyes stopped occupying themselves with staring at every miniscule thing in Regis' bedroom and instead trained on his straining cock. ' _How long is he going to take in there already?!'_ Regis been alone for what felt like _hours_ now but was surely no more than almost one, left high and dry and locked to the headboard after the most agonizingly teasing bout of foreplay he'd ever experienced in his life. Just enough to get him aching for it. And then Regis suddenly left him with nothing more than a gentle, promising kiss on the forehead and the parting words, " _I'll be right back, Darling."_

Half of Noctis wanted to damn him to Hell and back by being such a fucking tease after a year of having no sexual contact.

Half of him wanted to give him the best damned night of his life.

Noctis forced himself to relax as much as he could, given the position above his head that his arms were in. The tips of his fingers were beginning to feel like pins and needles, but he was hardly focused on them. He shifted atop the silk sheets and bit back a needy whimper at how soft and cool it felt against his nearly searing skin. His cock twitched between his legs, another luttle dribble of precum leaving his swollen slit to ever so slowly roll down the underside of his shaft. He watched it as if hypnotized, tongue darting out to moisten his lips and arms instinctively tugging against his restraints in order to just _please_ himself already. _'At this rate I'm not above begging for it.'_ No amount of distraction served as a good replacement for the salacious thoughts and images that enticed his mind; there was only so long a man could stare at the wallpaper without _losing his damned mind_ . Thoughts of Regis touching him, kissing every inch of him, or fucking him into the mattress was a _much_ better use of his time.

That was... until he found himself so hard and flushed that he became truly worried that he would die from lack of blood circulation to his upper body and brain that way.

And even still, he loved it. _Craved_ it, even.

Truly, he was a madman...

Noctis tugged one more time, harder than he had any time previously. Still no give.

"...Are they too tight?" Stormy eyes immediately flitted over to where Regis appeared, heart catching at the sound of his satin-esque voice. There, Regis was leaning against the doorframe between his bedroom and the adjoining master bathroom, naked except for the monogramed, white towel wrapped loosely around his waist. Concerned eyes looked over his son from beneath loosened, still mostly-damp bangs, but there was the unmistakable prescence of lust in those green irises as well.

Noctis' mouth _watered_ . He couldn't look away from the leftover water droplets that clung to the other man's toned body. A few of them rolled down Regis' pec and past his stomach before eventually getting lost in the trail of greying hair that started at the older man's navel and continued on, beneath the _dangerously loose_ towel.

" _Holy-!!"_ Again, Noctis' body tried to move on it's own and reach out for the object of his desire. To lick every drop off him. But when again he got nowhere, he let out a whimper of frustration before again adamantly tugging on his restraints.

Regis practically purred at the sight of his son, naked and chained to the headboard, prepped and sloppy with nowhere to go and no way of relieving himself. "It seems that you're alright. How nice." The tone in his voice and the heat in his eyes was _captivating_ , entrancing and calling Noctis' fluttering heart into his grasp as he offered next, "...You look even _better_ than when I left you, Darling…" His lips curved into a subtle smirk at the way that tone had his son lifting his ass off the bed, thrusting into the nothingness of the air with a needy, pitiful whine. Perhaps it had been _too_ cruel of him to leave him hanging like that for so long…? It was their first time using handcuffs in their 'play', after all… Regis frowned, tone suddenly far too serious. "...Shall I let you out?"

Noctis shook his head, adamantly, and ignored the way his neck muscles protested at the action. "N-no! It's _fine_ . Just- _please-_!" The desperation in his tone had his normally pale face flushing a heavy pink as he heard it in his own ears.

The older Caelum pushed off the doorframe and walked towards him, slowly. Liesurely. And when he got to the bedside he brushed a few sweat-matted strands of fringe out of his son's face, eyes looking over him carefully. "...Are you sure? I'm not trying to push you too far."

Noctis leaned into the hand at his temple with a delighted sigh. His eyes fluttered closed as he indulged in the warmth of his skin. "...You're not. I promise." That hand glided lower to cup his jaw and caress his cheek before Regis' thumb brushed over his lower lip. Stormy eyes opened to look into lustful, blown-out pale greens before jumping down to the sizable tent in the older man's towel, still pleasantly in tact despite his shower. With his father's close proximity, even beneath the thick fabric Noctis could _smell_ Regis' desire, musky and heady and mesmerizing.

He couldn't help himself anymore. He felt _delirious_ with his want. His need to have the other man inside of him in some form. At this rate it hardly mattered which hole.

"Please, Daddy, let me taste you…!", Noctis actually _begged_ , trying his best and failing at ripping away the towel. ' _Damn these handcuffs! Fuck!!'_

Regis answered the boy by finally doing away with that pesky towel, dropping it to the floor around his feet with a heavy plop. Noctis outright _moaned_ at the sight of him, thick cock inches from his face but still just far enough away that he couldn't get a taste. Regis chuckled under his breath as he watched his son strain against the headboard. "...And just how are you to do that, with your current… _'situation'_?" The thumb that was caressing the younger Caelum's plump lower lip delved deeper, inside the boy's mouth. Noctis opened wide, overly yet pleasantly obedient, sending a shiver of excitement down Regis' spine.

He had control like he'd never had before. Noctis was puddy in his hands.

The younger Caelum's cock jumped, more precum leaking obscenely from his tip. He was so aroused that it _hurt_. He moaned as the calloused skin of his father's thumb slid over the silky wetness of his tongue. But despite the appendage, he did his best to respond, "Shralle eh. Huck eh hace, Addy. Use eh hoeer ooh see hie."

' _Straddle me. Fuck my face, Daddy. Use me however you see fit.'_

The older Caelum's brows raised in utter surprise after he eventually pieced together what his son was attempting to say. But all Noctis could see was the precum that began leaking from his father's slit to fall, _wasted_ , to the floor between them, and he inwardly mourned the loss.

Regis pulled his thumb away and took a deep, calming breath- though it did little to quell the way his heartrate was quickening. What his son was asking him to do was far rougher-sounding and more intrusive and _dominant_ than anything he'd dared to do to him before... Noctis had always been quite the spoiled boy, especially within the recent years, due to all the affection and pampering and (of course) the money. He was a pillow princess through and through, easily taking pleasure and demurely yet passionately calling the shots in such a cozy and sexual way that Regis had been helpless but to listen and comply to his every whim. Even when Noctis was on top he was quick to let Regis do all the thrusting as he just sat and accepted it, revelling in every thrust and occupying his mouth with messy kisses… But now, tied up and begging for something so- so _animalistic_ , he was like another person _entirely_. Desperate and antsy. No filter. Was it because of the extensive length of time between now and their last sexual encounter or was the handcuffs bringing this about…? There was no way of knowing.

All of that was neither here nor there, though. Noctis was Noctis, and he'd accept him no matter how he acted in bed. Regis could care less whether he was more silent or if he was loud, whether he was laid-back or more dominant, whether he preferred to top or to bottom. What it _really_ all came down to was: was he _against_ doing as the younger boy requested?

No, he couldn't say that it was. The proof was in the pudding, so to speak, and there was no denying how aroused the notion made him.

"Noctis, are you sure…?" The heat within the younger boy's blown-out eyes as he nodded in response pulled Regis in like the tides. Like the attraction of a magnet. He wasn't even _looking_ at him. Those stormy irises were trained _only_ on the member between his legs, eyeing it as if he was absolutely starving and it was a buffet. "I don't want to push you too far…" But despite his words, Regis' body responded of it's own accord, moving to kneel onto the bed and move up until he was straddling Noctis, knees on either side of his body. Until the tip of his cock was just an inch away from those pink, moistened lips and every puff of rushed breath had it twitching in needy anticipation. "If you tell me to stop right now, I won't hold it against you." It had been so _long_ since he'd felt those lips wrapped around him. Since he'd felt that tongue lavish the underside of his shaft. Felt the force of his sucking...

Noctis shook his head. "I'm not backing out. I can do this. I _want_ to do this." Again, he opened his mouth and waited, looking up at his father's surprised, lust-filled expression with a heated look of his own. He trusted his father. And he wanted to show him like he never had before just _how_ much he did so.

With the younger boy's adamant consent, Regis didn't wait any longer. He braced a hand along the wall behind the headboard and ran his other through Noctis' black bangs, brushing them out of his beautiful, flushed face before fisting that hand in his hair atop his head in order to steady and guide it.

He started off carefully, afraid of moving too fast and pushing his son too far despite the younger boy's spoken opinion, and thrusted forward. Just close enough to rest the tip of his cock atop Noctis' tongue. If felt _heavenly_. Noctis moaned, softly and wet, and the sound sent a bolt of electric need straight to Regis' cock. He threw his head back with a long hiss of pleasure and immediately set to work on pushing a bit deeper, chasing that wet, hot sensation.

Noctis closed his mouth around his father's head as it was finally given to him fully. With a teasing suckle, he ran his tongue across the slit, savoring every smear of precum. He hummed and revelled at the feeling of the hand gripping at the roots of his hair a bit harder, altogether pulling his mouth a bit further down onto the shaft while Regis simultaneously thrusted deeper. He hummed at the comfortable rythm his father was setting, getting the feel for being in this new role, this new position, and Noctis took it in stride, lapping and sucking and doing his best to draw him in, even when he pulled back.

Regis moaned, head lolling to the side as he closed his eyes and just focused on the _feeling_ . With every shallow thrust he felt as if his cock was _melting_ in wet heat. It filled his body with an inferno, infecting him from head to toe with a desire he hadn't felt in a long, long time. Everytime he pulled his hips back that mouth would try its damnedest to suck him right back in, reluctant to let him go, and it was _damning_. Like a switch, he could feel his pleasure building, urging him to thrust deeper. Faster. So he did. In a short time his thrusts went from careful and shallow to something more confident and passionate. Deeper and faster.

Noctis moaned as the dick in his mouth began filling him whole-heartedly, pushing to the back of his mouth. It was more of what he wanted, what he desired. His own cock, still left untouched after his father's long-ago teasing pulsed and throbbed atop his abdomen as his toes curled in the sheets. Stormy eyes flashed up to gaze at Regis' face, eyes closed and mouth opened in pleasure. He hollowed his cheeks and sucked harder, wanting _more_. Wanting to unravel his father entirely, to blow his mind. And at the first push of the head of that cock dangerously close to the back of his throat, the stuttered moan that fell from Regis' lips, he knew he would get it.

"Noctis…! ...Gods, I- ...I don't think-" Regis' eyes suddenly opened to gaze down at his son with a half-apologetic expression peeking through the hazy lust. Everything was just feeling _too_ _good_. If he didn't pull back and give himself a moment to come down from this consuming, escalating high, it would all be over all too soon. But he just couldn't bring himself to _stop_. Noctis' words kept playing in his mind, _begging_ him to go further. To use him as he saw fit.

And with the rare opportunity within his reach, he decided within himself to use it.

What started off as an already needy rythm quickly turned into a deeper, faster pounding. Stormy eyes widened in surprise at the sudden switch before flashing up to meet Regis' oncee more. Over and over, without warning, his mouth was filled by his father's length almost to the point of choking. " _Mmf-!!"_ , he tried to warn the older man that it was getting harder to breathe with the rough pace and the depth of his thrusts, but there was no way to speak. Any attempt only ended up in a gagged whimper. 

Noctis' eyes watered as he tried to focus on relaxing his throat, but it was difficult. A mixture of fear as well as pleasure gripped his heart and his arms strained against the cuffs. Yet, even still, he didn't want it to _stop_ . Noctis' dick pulsed and twitched, _delighted_ with it all. Even without touching himself he could feel release coming on, surprisingly building to a precipice. Just the thought _alone_ of the possibility of choking, of possibly passing out, due to his father's thick cock blocking his airflow and hitting the back of his throat, filling it with his cum, made him _tremble_ with need. Being so helpless was so unbearably _arousing_ . Because despite the instinctive fear, he _trusted_ his father. He trusted him to know how much was too much and stop if the need truly arose. And the knowledge- the _pride-_ of being able to carry this out, to bring his father to his climax while swallowing down his cock, sparked fireworks beneath his skin. No matter what, Noctis wanted to see it to the end.

Regis moaned as he looked over sweat-soaked, matted hair and flushed cheeks, almost purple. At dazed, rolled-back, deep blue eyes and swollen, abused lips that continued to clamp around his shaft like a vice and the saliva that fell from that mouth, unable to be kept inside. His son was the most sinfully devine creature on the planet in that moment. Every time he pushed past that mouth as far as he possible could go, meeting the silky tightness of the back of his son's throat, Noctis' body would begin to instinctively try to swallow ot down, and it was the most heavenly feeling he'd ever experienced. That, combined with the sight of his son falling apart beneath his hand, was bringing him dangerously close to the edge. He couldn't keep it in any longer.

Noctis' body instinctively struggled against his restraints, legs scrambling and heels digging into the silk sheets, hips thrusting upward. He fiercely fought his instincts of flight as his father's cock repeatedly hit the back of his throat, taking the air from his lungs. And at the same time he was more turned on than he ever had been in his entire life. Never before had his father been so rough with him. He was now nothing more than a toy. An _object_. He was property; something to be used as Regis saw fit, no matter what he thought of the situation, and his heart _pounded_ with it. The bed was a damp mess beneath his ass where his precum had been leaking steadily, drenching his lower abdomen and a spot on the blankets between his thighs.

"I- I think I- I'm- _Oh_ , _Gods, Noctis...!"_ Regis' hips began to stutter in its brutal rythm and he tried his best to collect himself, if only to warn Noctis of his impending orgasm. _"_ Darling, I think I might-!" Regis' words were cut short as Noctis moaned, deep and gutteral and indecently, around his shaft. The vibrations from the sound had Regis fisting the boy's black hair and tugging at the roots, forcing his son's face further down onto the length of him.

 _'Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh-!!'_ Noctis' eyes practically rolled into the back of his skull as the pleasure suddenly overtook him, sweeping through his body like a punch in the gut. The desire to breathe left his mind entirely as his orgasm _slammed_ through him. The world became hazy, the edges of his vision fuzzy. Noctis' entire body tensed despite the pain in the muscles of his body. He couldn't even _feel_ his arms anymore. He thrusted into the air with his release and rode out the waves of his pleasure as the world faded out around him. The only thing he was aware of anymore was the thick weight in his mouth, the ache in his jaw. And then, suddenly, the thick, sticky liquid that ran freely down his throat as his neck muscles spasmed, doing it's best to swallow it all up.

Regis felt the hot, sticky ropes of Noctis' cum suddenly drench his backside and came almost immediately after, _shaking_ with the force of his orgasm. He couldn't _believe_ it. His son _came_. Just by having his mouth used like that. His fists clenched in Noctis' hair surely to the point of pain as he csqueezed his eyes shut and thumped his head against the wall. Mouth open in a silent scream, he buried now both hands in his son's hair and rode out his orgasm at his leisure.

At first, it felt as though he'd _never_ stop cumming. But when the initial high began to subside, he suddenly remembered to pull out and finally allow his son to breathe properly. He continue to experience a few final pulses of his orgasm, the remaining cum coating the top of his his son's tongue and dripping past his lip as he slowly and carefully withdrew. Noctis coughed and sputtered, body lax and eyes glossy and unseeing. He was barely holding onto consciousness.

"Noctis…? Noctis!" Regis worked to unclasp the handcuffs with shaking hands. And when they opened up, his son's arms fell to the bed, heavy and lifeless. Guilt immediately blossomed throughout his body as he rushed to put Noctis in a comfortable position, lowering him to lay flat and with his hands at his sides. He placed his hands on both of Noctis' cheeks and looked deeply into his eyes as panic began to rise. "Noctis, are you there? Are you alright? Noctis!"

Noctis' conciousness slowly came back to him as his lungs finally expanded and took in the oxygen he had been forcibly denied. Little by little, the black at the edges of his vision cleared. He awoke to the feeling of pins and needles piercing the flesh of his hands and arms and wide, pale green eyes staring into his own and taking in every detail of his face. Noctis was silent for a short while as he struggled, testing his vocal cords. Finally, he croaked out a tired,"...Dad?" The words were hard to get out. His throat was sticky and his lungs burned. It sounded like sandpaper in his ears. He didn't understand why his father looked so scared after feeling so good. Had he done something wrong..? He swallowed before trying again, "...Dad, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

He wanted to reach out and wrap his arms around the older man's neck, to draw him in close and reassure him, but his body wasn't cooperating. He could only just vaguely feel his surroundings, but even the best attempt at moving his arms to feel around merely resulted in perhaps the twitching of a pinky at best. ' _I… I don't have control of my arms…'_ , his mind told him. '... _Oh, yeah. The handcuffs… I guess my circulation got cut off.'_ After this revelation the younger Caelum grew increasingly aware of the physical, static-like sensation of pins and needles through his fingers and steadily continuing up his lifeless arms. The rest of his body pulsed with a dull, all-encompassing muscular pain.

Regis visibly relaxed, hearing his son form words. Other than a scratchy-sounding throat, he seemed otherwise unharmed. A look of relief fell over his expression and he huffed out an incredulous, grateful chuckle. _Thank the Astrals_ , his son was okay. "I feel like I should be the one asking _you_ that.", he responded, lightly. Those pale greens were filled with so much concern and affection that it took Noctis' breath away. He wanted _so_ _much_ to pull him in amd kiss him all over... But then Regis frowned and began fretting, second-guessing himself. "...A-are you alright? Are you in any pain? I didn't mean to hurt you, I-"

Noctis silenced his father with a shaking of his head and a sweet but weak, tired smile. Under Regis' frantic words he rasped, "Dad, no. _No_ , it's okay... I told you, I _wanted_ it. It was… _fun_ ." Pink flooded his cheeks as memories of their romp came to the forefront of his mind. He felt as though the back of his throat might be bruised. "I mean- I got off without you even _touching_ me, didn't I? That should be proof enough." He looked away in a bout of rare, adorable embarrassment.

The question had Regis pause. "Well, yes, I suppose that _is_ proof, but..." He smiled when Noctis looked away with such vulnerability in his eyes. It was a look Regis hadn't seen since their first night together, so so long ago. He couldn't help but to learn in and place a slow, loving kiss to the pulse point of Noctis' neck. The little hitch of breath that came during only widened Regis' smile. But he digressed, "...But you just about passed out or choked or- or _something_ ! And _I_ caused that! ...Noctis, I could have seriously hurt you..."

The guilt and shame was beginning to eat him alive as he laid there, cradling his son in his arms. And not for the first time. Throughout their years together Regis had always felt some form of shame for what he had pulled Noctis into. Their relationship wasn't accepted. Wasn't _normal…_ They'd never be able to show it, proudly, to the world. Never be able to take it further than their locked doors and vast estate. Some days he seriously thought about ending it all and attempting to start over. To give his son a normal life...

...But that wasn't possible.

They both knew that.

Noctis turned his face and met those lips head-on with his own. He kissed his father deeply. Slowly. And when they at last parted, there was nothing but truth and resolve reflecting from his eyes. "But you didn't. I'm fine. Just-" The younger Caelum attempted to move his arms and hands again but though all of his fingers were able to move a bit now, the rest of his upper limbs still could not. He huffed with an internal pout. "-I can't really move my arms yet, which sucks. They fell asleep."

"So then… you'd actually _want_ to use the handcuffs again some time?"

The boy smiled. "Of course. I love them. And…" The blush doubled up on his pale cheeks as he finished, "...I love _you_."

Regis scooped him up and held him in his arms, drawing him into a warm, tight hug. "I love you too, Noctis."

Wetness filled the younger Caelum's stormy eyes. After coming back dow from his high those ominous, damning inner voices were attempting to return, trying to work their way into his heart and again attempt to convince him that what his father said was only half truths. He needed to know. He _needed_ to. "... E-even when I… don't look like Mom…?"

The older Caelum's brows knit. Where was that coming from? "What?"

Noctis could feel Regis tense and try to pull away to look him in the eyes. But he clung to the older man, stubbornly, with what strength in his arms that he had. Afraid to let go. Afraid he'd see the vulnerability there. The fears he'd never spoken about until now.

Afraid of the _answer_ …

"Y-you know. When I look like... _me_ .", He clarified, and his voice was so small, so quiet. So _scared_ . "W-when I'm not dressed up… like a girl…?" Of course the cross-dressing was a big part of their 'play'. It was the big secret of his that had brought them together, at least romantically, in the first place. What if his father was in love with the illusion- the _dream_ ? What if that love only ran skin deep and ended after he was sated…? It hurt too much to think about. He _prayed_ that that wasn't the case. He loved his father deeply, far greater than a son should. He didn't want their 'relationship' to end before they were both ready for it, years and years from now, when he finally flew the nest and became his own man, taking the business into his own hands. When Luna would wear Noctis' family's ring and his father would finally stop working so hard and settle down with someone who also loved him for all that he was.

Regis held his son tightly. He understood, and his son's doubts pierced his heart like a knife. _'I've done this. I've given him some reason to believe that my feelings only go halfway… Damned you, Regis…'_ Shame held his soul in a vice grip but when he spoke it was with conviction. In no way did he _ever_ want his son feeling this way. Never again. "Noctis, listen to me…" He frowned at the feeling of Noctis nodding atop his shoulder with the sound of a wet sniffle. Noctis was _shaking_ . The hands around him clung tighter. "...There is _nothing_ about you that I don't love."

Noctis' teary eyes widened. He held his breath.

"I'm not disillusioned, Son. I know _damned well_ what's between your legs. When I make love to you I'm not imagining anyone else… Whether you're in pants, a skirt, boxers, or even lingerie. Make-up or natural- I _love_ you…"

His heart fluttered inside his chest. He couldn't stop the tears.

"I want _you-_ in any capacity that I can have you. And until you decide that this isn't what you want anymore, then that's how it'll always be."

" _Dad-!"_ Noctis' heart was fit to bursting with the overwhelming mixture of feelings he was experiencing. Relief, joy, love. And also embarrassment and shame for having thought those absurd things in the first place. All of them overwhelmed him, causing the tears to finally fall. He pushed off his father's shoulders and pulled his face in for an urgent, uncoordinated kiss.

Regis kissed him back as best he could. The corners of his mouth upturned at the cute, chaste, smattering of lips pressing against his own like a desperate, purring little kitten. Laughter broke out between every little smack. His son was just so _cute_.

Noctis was on cloud nine. All of his fears were snuffed out with only a few uttered, heartfelt words. He let his emotions flow freely as they kissed for what felt like forever. He didn't care about the teardrops running down his face or the hiccuped breaths; Regis simply calmed him with his touch and wiped the wetness away with his thumbs as he held him anyways, taking care of him without a second thought. He was _weightless_. So enamoured in this feeling was he that he hardly noticed the once thankful, playful, sloppy pecks on the lips steadily melting into something far slower, more sensual, until Regis'tongue delved into his mouth and brushed against his own. Noctis moaned and gave an excited shiver as two large hands pressed against his chest, silently coaxing him into laying on his back once more. He let the weight of his father settle over him, groaning between the unending litany of kisses when he could at the feeling of the pads of those fingers ghosting along his chest and down his abdomen, sticky with the remnants of his orgasm. Regis' hand unfortunately forewent his dick, drawing a pathetic whimper from the younger Caelum. However, that whimper ended in a hitch if breath when instead Regis' hand glided straight to his ass. Noctis had to break away from his father's bearded lips to stifle a moan with the back of his hand.

Regis smirked to himself as the feeling of his son's half-erect member brushing against his stomach. He covered the expanse of Noctis' throat with more kisses while he pushed two fingers inside the tight heat of his hole, easily. After the little scare he'd had he'd almost forgotten about how he'd previously prepped and lubed the boy up. Noctis arched his back and let out a delightfully sinful cry as those probing fingers honed right in on his prostate; a location Regis knew like the back of his own hand.

It would be a _shame_ if he didn't put all that previous effort to use...

" _Oh, fuck-!"_ Noctis' hands scrambled for purchase along his father's back, nails digging into the flesh of his shoulder blades. Instinctively he spread his legs a little wider, offering more ease of access. Teeth scraped, teasingly, along his throat before nibbling on his ear lobe and he cried out again, unable to stop his hips from grinding down on the fingers that were working him like no other's could. In no time at all he was fully hard and wanting all over again. " _Shit-!"_

Regis chuckled under his breath and whispered into his son's ear, "...Now, Darling, how about we get you in those handcuffs again and I finally fuck you proper...?"

**…**

"Is this… a _thing_?"

Chinese food set atop the coffee table like a buffet, it was perhaps five minutes before nine; not so long until Prompto would return. A few more rounds of mind-blowing sex and one catnap later and the two Caelums were now properly dressed, sitting in separate chairs respectively so as not to draw attention. It was a familiar and well-practiced facade, but Noctis' heart ached to be beside his father's warmth all the same. Still, it had to be done... Noctis wasn't one to pout over such things anymore. He'd done that plenty enough. He was used to the forced distance by now. Better to be begrudgingly separated than have his best friend walk in on him sitting in his father's lap.

 _That…_ wouldn't go over well. Not in this lifetime.

Noctis couldn't help the snort of laughter as he side-glanced his father's unsure expression. Thick, greying eyebrow raised and head quirked to the side, Regis looked over his newspaper and his reading glasses to watch the boy's simulated video game character piss himself. Noctis turn his eyes back to the large flat screen with a smirk. "Absolutely! It's fun!"

"You just _pissed_ yourself!", Regis shot back, setting down his newspaper to instead point at the screen with a disbelieving and incredulous expression.

His son merely shrugged and settled further into the plush cushions of the couch. The thick, comfortable sweater he was wearing made him a little hot, but it was comfortable and stylish. Most importantly though, it hid the slight bruising that the handcuffs had left behind. Noctis smiled to himself with a light dusting of a blush as he mentally relived the thorough fucking from earlier. He was pretty sure his ass would be sore for a week. ' _Gotta be careful not to let Prom see.'_ Since the furred inclining if the cuffs helped to prevent most of the pain, the bruises would surely clear up in a few hours… He hoped.

"He left a plate sitting in front of the door. Couldn't get out."

A slight sigh of exasperation and the Older Caelum began massaging his temples. Noctis enjoyed it with a smile. Regis just didn't _understand_ the entertainment of today's generation. "Why would a _plate_ of all things cause you to-"

"I'm back!"

Noctis paused his simulation and Regis gave up on his fruitless attempt to understand a _'video game'_ before turning to look back toward the familiar voice with matching smiles. Prompto was all sunshine and rainbows as usual. And as much as Noctis enjoyed his alone time, it was a welcomed sight. The freckled boy all but skipped into the living room and plopped down next to his best friend to rest against his side.

Prompto raised a curious brow at Noctis' outfit choice. "Cold, Noct?" He looked to his own tank top. "It's _summer_!"

Noctis turned his head, hoping the other boy wouldn't see the heat on his face. "S-so what if I am?"

"Better not be sick."

"I'm not sick!"

"Don't cough on me, I'm serious! I am _the worst_ at being sick."

Noctis rolled his eyes. "Again- _not sick_! Just cold. You know I'm a lizard person." Noctis subtly tugged at his sleeve ends, making sure his wrists were fully covered.

" _Lizard person…_?", Regis mumbled partially to himself, still failing at connecting with the youth.

Prompto snickered. This time it was his turn to roll his eyes with a fond smile. "As you've told me plenty of times, yes. That is apparent."

With the suspicion out of the way, Noctis allowed himself to relax a bit. "Shooting range went well I take it?" He no longer needed to hold himself back from the spread of boxed-up chinese that taunted them from the table. He eagerly snatched up a box of general tso's and passed some sweet and sour to the blonde.

" _The best!!"_ Prompto accepted the food gratefully before ripping apart his chopsticks and digging in. Even through mouthfuls of pork his elation and excitement was evident as he somehow managed, "I set a new record!! Everyone there was praising me and asking on tips for their aim and stuff! It was _amazing_ !! I was like- a _celebrity_ or something!"

Regis smiled silently and listened on as they chatted animatedly about Prompto's experience at the range. It was nice, hearing them talk about the things they loved doing. And he never knew that the blonde even knew how to hold a gun, let alone shoot one properly. It would… explain a lot of his natural talent, that was for sure.

But that was neither here nor there.

"Nice!" The younger Caelum ruffled his friend's hair. "Proud of you, Dude."

Prompto looked as if he was practically glowing with the praise. There was this look in his… _impossibly_ blue eyes… that was so pure and so soft, Noctis felt almost… how?

...He didn't really know. But his stomach chose that moment to do somersaults and he thought maybe it could be the chinese food that was making him suddenly break out into a sweat.

' _Well that's… different.'_

He didn't dwell on it. Nope! No need. Just typical ' _bro'_ feelings; nothing further to look into there. Nope. Perfectly fine! Nothing repressed at all!

Prompto didn't notice too much how his friend seemed to freeze for a moment just- _staring_ at him. He was _much_ more focused on the pile of fried rice he was shoveling into his face hole and whether or not there was a limit to how much of it he could safely eat without exploding. He beamed. "Thanks, man!"

"Prompto, do you often shoot guns?" Both boys turned to give their attention to Regis, who was looking at them with a patient, fatherly curiosity. Noctis' brows rose. It wasn't every day that his dad was interested in trivial things like hobbies, especially from people who weren't, well, _him_.

"Oh. You didn't know? Yeah, I do!"

He went back to his food and seemed to sit on that information a long moment. "Fascinating..."

Noctis' stomach did another little flip at the way his father said that word. It reminded him of- ' _No! No more thoughts about sex, damned it! Moving on!'_ He needed a subject change and fast.

Hadn't his libido had enough?!

"Hey, Prom, look! That simulations game finally got released for console!"

The blonde took the bait. "Oh my Gods, really?! Oh-! And you're playing it!" Noticing what was on the television screen in front of them for the first time, Prompto pointed a finger at it enthusiastically. "Look at that! He looks just like you!"

Noctis popped a spring roll into his mouth and offered the controller to his best friend. "Wanna make yourself, too? We can be roommates."

The controller had never left his hand so fast. "Bet."

"... _Bet_? Bet what, exactly…? Noctis is this a gambling game?" Regis decidedly went back to his paper after a bout of laughter. He would never understand them.

**…**

"...Mmn…" Noctis shivered. Half asleep and eyes refusing to crack open, he reached for the blankets that were no longer on his body. In the darkness he mumbled, "...Prom, stop hugging the blankets…" But there were no blankets to be felt. Noctis grumbled sleepily to himself as he continued to search a bit longer until at last he got tired of trying. Stormy eyes finally peeked open. "...Blanket hog…" His friend was notorious for somehow magicallying pulling all blankets and pillows to himself like some kind of blonde magnet. It was clear he'd need more than just a searching hand to try him out of the nest.

But when Noctis rolled over, his sleepy eyes blinked until fully open amd awake at the definite _lack_ of a blonde at his side. The Caelum sat up and looked around the darkened space of his bedroom. "...Prom?" There was no light glowing beneath the door to his adjoining bathroom, so he couldn't have been in there. So that left, maybe… the kitchen? Normally he wouldn't have cared. So what if the blonde needed a drink? It was normal. No one should bat an eye. But… memories of year's past surfaced... More than a few instances of waking in the middle of the night and seeing his bed empty instead of occupied by his best friend. It was just… too weird. Too strange to ignore. At first Noctis thought it might have been a rare bout of insomnia. But _still_ ? After almost an entire _year…_? There was just no way.

Noctis pushed himself out of bed and when his bare feet hit the floor instead of cold, hard wood, they met plush, downy blankets. ' _Oh.'_ Well. That explained where his blankets went. He'd kicked them all off in his sleep. _'I blame this damned sweater.'_ Though comfortable as all get-out, it was summer. It was in _no_ shape or form sweater weather. Hopefully the bruises were healed up so he could switch back to his t-shirts…

Still thoroughly confused as to where a certain blonde man was, the Caelum quietly padded out of his room and into the hallway-

-only to stop at the eerily familiar flood of light he saw emanating from beneath his father's door to the study. Pieces of a puzzle he didn't even know existed began to fall into place, serving only to further the confusion. ' _Wait… Dad's still up…?'_ He vaguely remembered asking his dad if he'd seen Prompto in the past…

He shook those thoughts from his head and silently started making his way toward the stairs, trying to be careful so as not to disturb his father's work. What was he even _thinking_ ? _'Psh. Can't be… I'm just still sleepy and not thinking right, that's all… Prompto's probably downstairs getting a snack or something.'_ ...Prompto and _his dad_ ? ...In some type of _secret relationship_ ? There was no way in _hell_ anything like _that_ would be happening without his knowledge… He was the _prince_ of having secret relationships! He'd have to be some kind of _moron_ not to-

" _Ahh-!!"_

Two steps down the stairs, hand clutching the banister, Noctis stopped dead in his tracks. The hair on his arms and the back of his neck stood up. There was no denying that sound. Even though he had never physically heard it anywhere except the most blocked, deepest recesses of the occasional wet dream long-forgotten, there was no heads or tails about it.

That was _Prompto's_ voice. Not just his voice, but a moan. A _sex_ moan.

And it wasn't coming from downstairs. It was coming from behind him.

From his dad's study.

Part of Noctis couldn't believe it. Another part of him half believed he'd just mistaken the noise for something else. That he was still half-asleep and delirious. Hell- maybe even still asleep entirely! But another moan sounded out to join the first; this one more muffled than the last, but it was there. Not only that, but he could hear the sound of furniture rattling atop the hardwood and the wet, far-off sound of skin hitting skin…

 _'Prom…?'_ His legs moved of their own accord despite the heart pounding in his chest and the cold sweat breaking out across his palms. ' _Dad…?'_ As he got closer to the study, his hand reached out and grasped the door handle. Time seemed to slow to an unimaginable halt as he carefully turned the knob and cracked the door open. And when the barrier was breached, the muted sounds of muffled cries of pleasure and heavy breathing became louder than the blood rushing through his ears.

" _Gods- Prompto…!_ " His dad's voice, calling out his best friend's name as if he was a gift from the Astrals.

Noctis' eyes widened as he peeked through the crack. His hands flew up to cover his mouth, afraid to even _breathe_ lest they see him. But what he was witnessing was too crazy to be true.

There, on top of his father's desk no less, was Prompto. The blonde was suspended in ecstacy, body somewhere between attempting to cover his mouth and muffle his moans and grasping the desk for dear life. Flushed from head to toe, the freckled boy was laying atop the desk as Regis pounded him from behind, one hand braced atop the table next to him and the other holding up one of Prompto's freckled thighs so that he could thrust in at just the right angle. The younger Caelum watched, half horrified and half aroused, as his father increased the pace of his thrusts and drove the blonde practically to the point of being cross-eyed with the pleasure of it.

_"Oh-oh, fuck! M-Mr. Caelum…!"_

He couldn't look away. As confusing as it all was, as horrible as it all was, how sexy it all was, he just- couldn't tear himself away. He didn't even realize he was masturbating until the hands down his boxers threatened to draw out a needy moan of his own. ' _This is fucked up. I'm fucked up. I'm-'_ But he soon only found him stroking his cock at the same pace in which Prompto was being fucked. His climax was embarrassingly close, with Prompto's anticipated orgasm not too far ahead. It was in the way his eyes glossed over, head tossing back, mouth opening in a silent cry… ' _Fuck fuck fuck fuck fu-'_

_"Aaah-! Right there, Mr. Caelum, please! Harder!"_

Regis groaned, low, and Noctis whimpered. As his father did as the blonde pleased, a devilishly handsome smirk on his face, he grasped the you ger boy's flushed cock in his hand. After just three pumps it was over. Prompto bit down on his arm with a muffled cry. His cum shot onto the floor between them and Noctis' shot into his own shaking hand. Regis gave a few final, deep thrusts before cumming, deep in his best friend's ass.

' _Oh, fuck… Oh, fuck, what is this? What do I do?!'_ Noctis shamefully removed his hand from his still-hard cock and bit his lower lip. He was so- so confused. He wanted to be mad. He wanted to be pissed, but… but he wasn't. A big part of him was jealous beyond reason. He wanted to rip his best friend away from his father and take his place instead. He also wanted them to start a second round.

But all hope of that were thrown out the window as a pair of dazed, bright blue eyes met his own through the crack.

Noctis' blood turned to ice as Prompto's face showed a look of pure panick.

' _Fuck.'_


	2. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis confronts Prompto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live (believe it or not)!

It was all Prompto could do just to keep sane.

The fingers digging into the skin of his thigh, the hand working his cock in perfect rhythm with those deep, penetrating thrusts that ground into him  _ just right _ , shooting stars behind his eyelids and bringing his heart to a stampede, his blood to near  _ boiling _ … He couldn't remember the last time it was like this.

' _ Nope- That's- That's a fuckin' lie.' _ , Prompto's brain is telling him even before that last thought could complete itself, somewhere behind the far-off, dazed look in his eyes and the heartbeat in his ears. Not the sex itself, no- with Regis, sex was  _ always _ great; the man made damned near sure of that, and all the while seeming as though it's the most effortless thing in the world. As though he isn't around thirty years Prompto's senior.  _ 'The p-perfect- asshole. Always- always so composed.' _

Another sharp thrust brought him back to the present followed by another sharp moan, barely contained behind his trembling hand as he scrambled to contain it. Then, hot breath on his left shoulder blade. Regis didn't bother with so much as slowing his rhythm as his voice worked its way into the blonde's burning ear, piercing his senses over the audible, wet slapping of skin on skin. They'd been heavy-handed in their use of lube; far too amped up to pay attention to things like how hard to squeeze the little bottle. But the fist around Prompto's member stilled before falling away. "...Careful now, Prompto. Wouldn't want Noctis to hear you… Wouldn't want to ruin such a carefully kept secret."

And those  _ words _ . Spoken in that low baritone, thick and strained, raspy with sex… They drive Prompto crazy with lust. Lights a fire so deep he feels as though he might burn to ash from the inside out with every inflection and syllable.

This.  _ This _ was what he had been missing. The danger of it all- just as though it was his first time all over again.

"No-!", Prompto's tongue darted out to swipe at his dry lips, his voice an airy, careful whisper despite the sounds that Regis' precise thrusts drew out of him, effortless.

The fingers that gripped at his flesh, calloused and strong but so,  _ so _ careful. The scent of cologne and whiskey, ink and freshly printed documents. The authoritative voice ingrained deep within the most raw and needy parts of Prompto's soul, his heart. Enticing and coercing him to open up, to take it all, to be so  _ good _ … It all paled in comparison to the way Prompto's frantic heart would leap into his throat before ricocheting all the way down into his stomach and bouncing back into place like a children's game of soccer at the slightest  _ hint _ of Noctis finding out their dirty little secret. The slightest hint of sound behind the closed door that separated them from reality and sheltered them as they indulged in each others' bodies; whether what they shared between them right now was real or imaginary, truth or fiction, hardly mattered compared to the tight, full feeling in Prompto's chest. To the way his cock would pulse with a heavy wave of  _ need _ at the mere  _ thought _ of Noctis seeing. Of Noctis  _ knowing _ .

" _ Ah-!!" _ Prompto's back arched despite himself, toes curling into the floor as that terrifying, disoriating,  _ intoxicating _ thought settled hot in his gut, meeting the glide of Regis' member against his prostate, heavy and grounding but sending him into  _ space _ .

The deep rumble of a laugh. A large hand pressing atop his lower back before the next thrust. "Unless… you  _ want _ him to hear you...?" And,  _ Gods _ , since when did Regis get  _ closer, _ those words whispered in a challenge tainted with desire and greed? Prompto whined, high and pathetic, at the brush of stubble at the shell of his ear followed by the less than gentle nip of teeth and-

_ "Fffuck, Mr. Caelum-!!"  _ It was impossible to keep his mouth closed. Prompto's noises- soft, needy, wonton, and loud alike- were beginning to blur into one long, drawn-out babble of  _ nothing. _ Sounds, words, prayers,  _ whatever _ he was going for; he couldn't decide. But whatever it ended up being, it must have sounded something like  _ "Please-!" _ , because the next thing Prompto knew was Regis' fingers running through his hair with a deep groan of praise, pulling at the blonde locks before all too soon falling back to the sweat-slicked skin of the younger man's pale, freckled back. Regis angled himself differently, the roll of his hips  _ perfection _ as he sought that spot, that correct mixture of speed and pressure that would have Prompto teetering over the edge in no time at all. Just like so, so many times before.

"You're so bad, Darling." Regis lightly clicked his tongue as if to scold and Prompto could hear the smirk in his voice like a well-known song. "I can't believe you're picturing the look in my son's eyes as he watches me fuck you open." Every few words were punctuated with another deep thrust and again, Prompto  _ moaned _ . Loud and guttural, his face and chest painted in a blush so heavy he might just be dying from the ache.

But the older man's words held a truth too heavy to grasp. Too tantalizing to try and reach out for lest it smote him with it's temptation. With it's  _ devastation _ .

So Regis did it for him. Put into words what Prompto's deepest sins could only dream of. What his consciousness wouldn't even let him recognize on his own beyond a mere kink. An illusion. Because, somehow, Regis knew just how to tear him apart and piece him back together in a way that would have Prompto  _ begging _ for the torture of the process.

"...You  _ want _ him to see you like this…? Sloppy and begging for it…? Moaning as you make a mess of my office like some common whore…?" It wasn't a question; not really. Though that tone could have fooled anyone who wasn't bouncing on what was probably the best cock in all of Insomnia. And it sent a jolt of lust down the blonde's spine. So stark that it had his thighs tensing, his knuckles pale and strained from where they gripped, uselessly, at the edge of the desk. "...What do you think he'd say, if he could see you now…?"

" _ I-I- I don't know-!"  _ Prompto's fingers scrambled to mute the needy moans before they leaked out of the room, but it was all for naught. The sensations were taking him over in deep, rolling waves, sweeping him off his feet and onto cloud nine.  _ Above _ cloud nine. Because  _ Gods _ , despite what his mouth was spouting he was picturing it. Picturing those deep, stormy eyes on him. Only him. The shock, the scandal, and- in Prompto's innermost fantasy, the one he refused to recognize and bring to any sort of light, at least-, the  _ lust;  _ all painted on Noctis' naturally stoic and sleepy features in a way he'd never seen and never  _ would _ see.

Prompto knew. He  _ knew _ what would actually happen if Noctis ever caught them. The betrayal, the anger, the resentment...

_ 'The end of a friendship.' _

But he didn't want to follow through with that reality. Not when his best friend's father's cock was pressing deeper, harder, so much more  _ insistent _ against his inner walls, against that bundle of nerves that made all rational thought impossible. Like everything he needed but couldn't verbalize. Not when the heat in his gut was coiling, tightening, winding up for his inevitable release.

So, instead, he painted a new reality. One that better suited this fantasy. One where that shock melted into morbid curiosity. Where those even lips gasped apart with the darting of a tongue as Noctis watches on, breaths coming as soft pants. Pale knuckles peeking from beneath a sweater far too large for the younger Caelum, leisurely twitching toward the waistband of his own pants, thoughts of just Prompto in his mind and reflected back into the blonde's own eyes...

" _ Oh fuck- Oh Gods-!!" _ He was close.  _ So _ fucking close.

"...Would you want me to stop, then? If he was right here." And as if to actually stop, to pull out, Regis' rhythm slowed to a near halt with the ghost of a tease on his bearded lips.

And the reaction was immediate.

" _ No!! I wouldn't! No no no no no-!"  _ Prompto squirmed, the high-pitched whine practically  _ painful _ in the back of his throat as his hips moved of their own accord. In defiance, in desperation. Competing with the pathetic burn behind his eyelids that accompanied his begging. And the tears should have been shameful, should have been emberassing, but they weren't. Not compared to the way Promoto's stomach dropped as Regis halted his squirming, denying him that feeling of being full for far too many seconds. That breathy, rumbling chuckle that was so  _ cruel _ because Regis  _ knew _ that he had been close. So,  _ so close…! _

He hardly registered the trails of wet that fell down his cheeks and onto the hardwood of the desk until Regis' thumb glossed over them next to brush them away. Lips, soft and careful- too careful, given the clash of  _ wanting _ and  _ not doing- _ pressed against the sweat-matted tufts of blonde against his forehead. "Shhhh… It's alright, Darling. I've got you…"

"Then  _ fuck me. _ ", came Prompto's shaky voice. Behind bitten, swollen lips and another failed attempt at pressing back against the cock that just  _ barely _ kept them connected. " _ Show _ him what you'd do with me." And there was weight, there. Conviction. A dare.  _ Whatever _ Regis wanted to take it as, all he had to do was  _ accept  _ it.

And Prompto knew what those words had done even before the brutal pace returned. Because the next press of lips against his temple was so delicate, so  _ heartbreaking _ tender that it couldn't have been perceived as anything other than a  _ promise _ . An answer to his call, followed by a rasp. A command, breathy and deep.

A challenge for a challenge.

"Then hold on tight to that desk, Darling, and try not to scream... We'll see just how deep of a sleeper my son  _ truly _ is, hm?"

And then the only thing Prompto felt was  _ 'Yes!'. _

Regis' cock brushed against his prostate with every deep, brutalising roll of his hips, and Prompto couldn't hold in his moans any longer. They fell freely, louder and louder as his body rocked into the surface of the desk, pressed into the wood by the force of his lover's passion and possessive desire.

_ "Aaah-! Right there, Mr. Caelum, please! Harder!" _

And Regis complied, holding the blonde in place as he fucked him brainless. As Prompto's mind delved back into their imaginary scene, invisible stormy irises trained on Prompto's parted lips, wet and obscene, drooling in the way his tongue pressed uselessly against his trembling fingers. Trained on his flushed chest and leaking cock, dripping a mess onto the floor. To the rattle of the desk, giving in a bit more with each jolt, making its way askew of its original location so subtly that neither man noticed.

And neither would Noctis.

Regis groaned, cock hot and heavy inside of the younger man's body, pulsing with his own increasing pleasure. Prompto jolted with a keen when a large hand grasped back at his neglected cock, pumping in time with their unrelenting, desperate pace. Regis fucked Prompto with purpose. With intent. As though he had something to prove. As though someone really  _ were _ watching them.

" _ F-fuuckk!!" _ It only took a few more strokes. A few more thrusts, and his orgasm was exploding through him like fireworks. He swore, he wasn't in control of his facial expressions anymore as those bright blue eyes rolled back into his head and his mouth opened wider with a fierce cry of pleasure that could have competed against the obnoxiously loud ringing in his ears. But, thankfully, unfortunately, the blonde's thoroughly fucked brain had enough self-preservation to realise that the desires behind his eyelids were simply that- desires. Not reality. And so, with the only braincell he had to spare, Prompto bit back the scream. Reeled it into a silent choke of air that left his lungs burning and his limbs trembling with the force of his orgasm.

Prompto could feel Regis' release coating the inner walls of his ass not even three seconds later in hot, sticky spurts. And it was bliss. Pure, unadulterated  _ bliss _ as that fantasy faded away and it was now just the two of them again, sated and limp. Tired bodies unwilling to turn their bones back into things that no longer resembled jelly.

Regis' lips worshiped every freckle on Prompto's back as they came down from their immense highs, wet, stubbled lips taking their time to kiss along Prompto's shoulder blades, up his spine, to the back of his neck. As if they had all the time in the world instead of just the cover of darkness and the safety of a closed door. The blonde shivered as the blinding light of the world around him broke through the black spots in his blue irises, just in time to be at least half cognizant when those bearded lips met his numb ones, hot and languid and sated. Slow.

"Mnn…" Prompto could only hum against the older man's lips, words eluding him, vocal cords disconnected from his brain as the rest of his body steadily worked to catch up and resurface through the numb, tingling sensations goosebumping across his freckled skin.

Regis chuckled. Brushed a strand of hair out of the younger man's face as their eyes met. "Good?"

"Mn." That was a yes. Definitely a yes.

"I'm glad." And the way Regis' voice always softens up just after a round of sex was always another, safer intoxication that Prompto was more than happy to indulge in.

With a lop-sided smile and eyes still too tired to open, the blonde leaned forward to capture Regis' lips once more with his own, firmer and more insistent but no less languid as its predecessor. And it was nice. Warm and light, like floating on a cloud. Prompto relished in the aftercare. Regis' hands smoothed up and down his back, over his arms, soothing his sore muscles. And sure, he was loud. Very _ ,  _ stupidly _ , incredibly loud _ for someone who was supposed to be hiding that he was sleeping with his best friend's father. And yes, there was a decent-sized portion of his mind that was already freaking out and stressing over it despite the gentle brush of lips and the ticklish scrape of stubble that followed. But even now, there was utter silence aside from the sounds of their breathing. Noctis wasn't awake. He was still sleeping like the dead in his large, black-out dark bedroom. Possibly even with the blankets swallowing him up like a cocoon. And, in this moment, there was nothing Prompto would rather focus on than the utter calm Regis always seemed to provide for him during moments like these. So, he'd worry about all that later.

_ 'Later. Yeah… Later sounds good.' _

It did. Because Regis' tongue brushed against his lower lip, wordlessly requesting more, and Prompto was loath to do anything but deny him. With a contented sigh, Prompto opened his mouth and shuddered as the older man's tongue brushed against his own, hot and wet. And then his breath caught in a gasp as those fingers he could feel but couldn't see pleasantly ghosted along his ribs, his fluttering abdomen, his sticky inner thigh, before Regis' hand fisted back around his half-hard dick. The blonde's body shuddered beneath the older Caelum as he starting in slow, lazy glides, rekindling that fire Prompto had just thought to be diminished. The dick that Prompto was only half-cognizant to realise was still buried deep in his ass was still hard, pulsing with the telltale beginnings of another round already stirring.

Their lips finally parted from one another and Prompto breathed an incredulous, light-hearted chuckle. Eyebrow quirked, he called, " _ Already? _ "

It was no secret that Regis was up there in years; Regis himself had told Prompto as much, more or less, back when they'd first started this slow descent into lust and debauchery. The older man's body just wasn't as capable of bouncing back as fast as his much younger lover's. But that spark, that addictive  _ danger _ of having Noctis back was once again alive and present, calling to their more carnal desires in nostalgic ways that were missing up until this night.

Regis smirked as the slow, rhythmic pumping of his hand along Prompto's shaft drew the most adorable little oversensitive twitches and whimpers, breath hot against his lips, tongues still brushing. "What, you don't want it?", he teased. He already knew the answer.

And Prompto thought that he did as well. His body squirmed, delightfully and torturously caught in the impossible decision of either rolling his hips into Regis' hand or grinding his ass back down onto that addictive cock.

That was, until his eyes finally flutter open as Regis pulls away to focus on where their bodies are still connected, the sky blues of his irises meeting the door directly in front of him.

_ '-Oh, fuck.' _

And locked with a pair of all-too-familiar,  _ wide _ stormy blues, half-covered beneath black fringe from the  _ crack _ between the now  _ open _ door and the doorframe.

_ 'Oh shit.' _

Prompto's heart dropped to the floor in record speed, only half as fast as his lips part though, mouth agape. Because it's  _ him _ . Gone in just one, flustered blink of an eye, but Prompto doesn't even fantasize the lie that he  _ knows _ is a lie because thinking about Noctis looking at him like that had never felt so  _ real _ . So terribly, heartbreakingly  _ real _ . And no amount of thought alone could have left that door cracked open. Not after how carefully he'd closed it after stepping inside. Not after how sturdy it had felt when Regis pressed him against it, kissing him like he was a coveted treasure.

Prompto's body seized up immediately,  _ terrified _ of the implications that came along with Noctis  _ being _ there. Of what that now meant for him, for  _ them _ . And he wanted to  _ scream _ . Words, words, he thought there'd be  _ words! _ Had imagined and spent countless restless nights awake, mentally plotting what he would say in order to crawl out of the hole he'd dug himself into. But as Noctis faded into the darkness of the hall faster than a syllable could form, words were unfortunately off the table. Because Noctis was  _ gone _ .

And the reality, the fear, is far less sexy. It's heavier than lead in his gut. Thicker than molasses in his throat. He felt like throwing up. Dying on the spot even, if he was lucky. But of course, he isn't.  _ 'Shit! Shit- fuck! Noctis!'  _ And Regis didn't know yet. Still uselessly kissing down the curve of his neck and fondling a dick that would no longer respond. ' _ I'm fucked! We're fucked! This is the end-Shit. I've ruined everything!!' _

"Let me up." Hands scrambled atop the surface of the desk before pressing against Regis' chest. His body protested the movement but Prompto protested the protest, eyes wide and unable to meet his lover's as their bodies separated with another push. Regis' semen began to leak from his hole and down his leg, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore, they were  _ dead _ .

"...Prompto?" The curious tone in Regis' voice, still playful, oblivious to their situation, was like another knife in his heart. And he ignored it for the time being as his pale, clumsy body moved to pick up his discarded clothes.

_ 'I should tell him. Noct's his son. He has the right to  _ know _. And-' _

But… should he?

A ice cold grip on the blonde's heart halted his movements for only a second. Greed, denial, hope; some fleeting whisper of an emotion that melted as soon as the fear overtook him once more, drowning them all and mixing everything up in a violent whirlpool. Prompto  _ knew _ Noctis. Knew that he was a quiet man, but a passionate one beneath his unbothered exterior. Had listened to the man rant and rave with no end end sight about the things that irks him. But Noctis had just-  _ stared _ … Stared and ran away. And if Prompto knows Noctis like he hopes he does, then that  _ meant _ something. It  _ meant _ something, if the Caelum hadn't immediately busted inside and ripped him from his father's arms. Yelled at them. Screamed, with tears in his eyes. Kicked him out onto the streets to leave him at Gladiolus' mercy.

And it's all Prompto has to hold onto.

_ 'No, I… I won't. Not yet… Not until I've spoken to Noctis first.' _

It's foolish to think he can fix this. Even now, he sees no pleasant outcome. But he'll spare Regis the knowledge that his only and beloved, perfect son had seen them fuck. Spare him the emberassment and the guilt that was threatening to eat Prompto alive right now. If he could just-  _ talk _ to Noctis. Maybe they could come to an agreement that wouldn't leave Regis feeling like it was  _ him _ that fucked up. Because it wasn't. It was  _ Prompto _ . Prompto, that year ago, who had stumbled into this office and clumsily asked the older Caelum to fuck his brains out. All because of some  _ stupid _ wet dream.

_ 'Great idea, Prompto. Real great life choices there! Way to commit.' _

_ 'Fucking dumbass.' _

The blonde slapped on a smile with no small amount of difficulty. Tried to keep the waver out of his voice."S-sorry! I, uh- I can't." He almost put his head through the arm hole of his shirt. "Second round, that is. I, uh- tired."

Regis merely watched him, arms crossed over his naked chest and eyebrow quirked. " _ 'I… tired?' _ ", he repeated. A short pause. "You must be, to mumble such an incomplete sentence like that." Something akin to amusement would be visible, had the blonde squinted and turned his head at a forty-five degree angle. But at the moment all it read as was 'fatherly concern'. Which-  _ fuck,  _ fatherly concern shouldn't look so damned _ hot _ , it should leave him feeling like a scolded child, but Noctis did a well and good job of that by himself and without so much as a word. And concern was  _ bad _ , concern meant there'd be  _ prying _ .

So Prompto pulled his shirt over his body correctly after a second failed attempt and shimmied into his pajama pants next as fast as he could, almost tripping over his own feet and eyes stubbornly refusing to meet those pale green irises all the while. The fake smile was beginning to hurt his face. "I- yeah, man,  _ soooo _ tired."

"' _ Man' _ ...? _ " _ Another incredulous repeat. Prompto had never called Regis anything like that in his  _ life _ . Would never dream of it, even. But he had one braincell left and it was focused on getting the  _ fuck _ out of there and sorting out his life!

One last look around the floor confirmed that he had all his clothes back on his body before he turned to face Regis and finally look him in the eye. Briefly. Before jabbing a thumb over his shoulder with one hand and fumbling for the doorknob with the other. And that brief interaction was  _ far _ too long, because he could  _ feel _ the concern in Regis  _ vibes _ . See it in his relaxed yet guarded stance. "You really did a number on me today and I guess my body isn't used to that anymore, soooooooo-  _ yeah _ . I think I'm gonnaaaa…" And then all pretences get thrown out the proverbial window. Prompto darted out of the room as fast as a blink, leaving behind nothing but the dark emptiness of the hallway and a thoroughly confused Regis in his wake.

**…**

_ 'Fuck.' _

It was more than a word. It was a feeling, shooting straight through his chest and into his very soul, shaking it to the core as Noctis' eyes caught Prompto's own through the slim crack of the door. Just for a second. Only for a second. Before Prompto's face contorted into panic and Noctis felt a similar, choking feeling tightening around his drumming heart.

' _ I need to go.' _

Without a second thought, brain hardly  _ capable _ of processing a cognizant thought after what he'd just seen, Noctis extracted his hand from his pants and darted down the carpeted hallway as fast as he could, desperate to get away from it all and fucking  _ breathe _ \- But to where? It was a huge mansion but not nearly enough space stood between him and the people he was adamantly attempting to distance himself from in this moment. So, not even three seconds after breaking into a run Noctis found himself skidding to a sudden halt. He could hear muffled talking from down the hall, the soft padding of scrambling feet behind the upticked beating of his heart in his own ears, and again that feeling of dread and panic, of  _ 'What do I do?!' _ crept up his spine.

Prompto would be coming out of there any second now, and he wasn't ready to face him. Not yet. Not after-  _ that _ . So, frantically, Noctis weighed his options while running the hand that wasn't soiled in his own shame through his dark hair, tugging at the roots.

Bedroom?

' _ No. Fuck no. Too close.' _

Living room?

_ 'No space to hide.' _

Kitchen?

_ 'What the fuck, Noct. The kitchen?!' _ Such an admittedly dumb suggestion had the man shaking hos head in self-disappointment before moving on.

And the fucking  _ study _ was out of the question. So was his father's room... Which left one of the many spare bedrooms in the mansion they had but never got used besides when his father would have coworkers over or when their extended family came over for the holidays.

_ 'It'll have to do. Prom won't look for me there.' _

At least, he hoped he wouldn't...

So with the quick turn of his heels, the Caelum heir darted back, past his father's study, past his father's bedroom, and into one of the spare bedrooms down the way. The very last one, in fact.

He didn't turn on the lights after quietly closing the door behind himself. The sliver of light, not unlike what he'd seen flooding the hallway floor from his father's study, would no doubt give way to his location and draw attention. If not from Prompto, then from his father. Instead, a clumsy hand flipped the lock before he slid to the floor, back pressed incessantly into the hard wood. As if the added weight was assurance; another weight, preventing it from swinging open. Breaths left Noctis' lungs in labored, shaking breaths and again he ran a hand through his hair, pulling it out of his face despite the fact that there wasn't much to see through the darkness of the room.

Noctis didn't know how long he sat there, tense, listening, breathing, trying not to breathe too loudly. Until the quiet footsteps disappeared. Until the sounds of doors opening and closing halted. And then longer. Much, much longer. Because that's how long it took for the distress, thick like molasses, to clear from the Caelum's mind. For those cogs to finally begin turning again, more than just ' _ Prompto fucked my dad.'  _ on repeat.

And when that happened, when he finally had time to process what he'd seen, it was as if Pandora's Box had been released right in front of him. Every emotion came flooding forth, fighting for dominance. So overwhelming that Noctis didn't know whether to laugh, cry, scream, yell, or utterly  _ break _ . Which was bitterly ironic, coming from the man who could hardly be bothered to show more than 20% interest in anything and everything aside from the loved ones in his life- as few and far between as they were.

The first, confusion.

_ How? When?  _ And  _ why _ hadn't Noctis  _ noticed _ it before? He was the crowned prince of keeping sex secrets- how did Prompto somehow swoop up that title from beneath his nose? Prompto had always been so-  _ awkward _ , especially around people the blonde liked or around people who showed even the slightest interest in him. More often than not it was Prompto's nervous habit of putting his metaphorical foot in his mouth that always left those possible hook-ups and relationships ending just as fast as they started. The only person who had ever maintained interest after that was Gladiolus and even then Prompto had fretted near constantly about being nervous about his inexperience in the bedroom and not wanting to look like an even bigger loser in front of the guard… Noctis had never realised how those conversations came less and less often after actually dating Gladiolus… Originally, the Caelum had chalked it up to the natural flow of relationships; guy meets guy, guys fool around, guy gradually gets exposed to sexual situations, guy loses virginity. Done. Simple. Or at least-  _ something _ along those lines…

Noctis shook his head, slowly, as the questions merely quadrupled with no clear or obvious answer. Which led him into another revelation, eyes widening and mouth falling open.

' _ Gladiolus! -Oh, Gods, Gladiolus.' _ The man was big. Intimidating. Some would even say insufferable, even, in a way not dissimilar to how nagging and motherly Ignis could get at times. But in a cocky sort of way. Noctis had never  _ seen _ the older man upset or angry enough to initiate a fight, but that didn't mean he wasn't  _ capable _ of it. He was.  _ Very _ capable. From the sheer bulk of him alone Noctis wouldn't put it past the man to be able to rip someone in half with his bare hands.

His first instinct was to call him- To tell him what he'd seen, if only to  _ share _ it with someone who would be just as baffled as him. Just as lost. As confused and conflicted. Noctis' hands fumbled, patted over his shirt before darting to his pajama pants, for his pockets, but they halted once they realised that his phone was still on his bedside table and nowhere near his person. So, with another shaky sigh, Noctis balled the hand into a fist atop his thigh instead. He bit on the inside of his cheek, painfully, as another uncomfortable emotion rushed in, just after that initial confusion.

Because, no. "...I… can't..." Because as messed up as all this was, he couldn't do that. He refused to be the one to break that sort of truth to Gladiolus. No- that sort of thing should be heard from the significant other in these sort of instances. Not from the son of the man you work for. Not when the man you work for is the person your significant other is fucking.

Which lead to the next emotion.  _ Anger _ .

In a flash Noctis pushed off the floor and stood up, eyes glaring into the opposite wall as though it had insulted him. A blur of movement in a still room. Hands balled up into fists at his sides, he exhaled a sharp breath. Then another. "How could he- how could he  _ hide _ this from me?!" He wanted to  _ scream _ . He wanted to break something- anything would do. But, despite the heat simmering in his spine and the pressure pulsing behind his eyes, Noctis  _ knew _ that the action would only draw unwanted attention. Attention that he wasn't prepared to face lest he punch Prompto or his father in their face faster than he would think to regret it. So, instead, he stomped over to the neatly-made bed and threw all the pillows onto the floor. The way they merely bounced silently before settling did nothing to quell the rage. If anything, it made it  _ worse _ .

Noctis ground his teeth. Kept the momentum of moving going by shoving into the adjoining guest bath to finally wash his hands from the filth of his own cold, drying cum. "We tell each other  _ everything!  _ I thought we were friends! How could he not-  _ tell _ me about this?!" The water and lingering suds made shutting off the tap difficult, so he didn't bother. The sound of running water was pleasant background noise anyhow as he huffed another seething breath, slapping more than simply wiping his hands on the towel hanging from the wall.

But… they  _ didn't _ tell each other everything, did they.

Because Noctis was just a bad.

He  _ never _ talked about his sexual encounters to Prompto; not even once. He never shared his own feelings for his father, nor did he let the blonde in on his affinity for cross-dressing.

Which made him a hypocrite.

A big, dumb, scared, emotionally constipated and confused hypocrite.

Which was part of a new arising emotion that the Caelum quickly bit down over a different, more prominent one;  _ jealousy. _

Noctis' dad was  _ his _ .  _ His _ kind, mild, understanding green eyes under salt-and-pepper brows.  _ His _ lips that whispered praises and reprimands into his burning ears.  _ His _ hands, enveloping him and making him feel small and vulnerable in the best way possible. That comforted him through countless struggles during his youth.  _ His _ heart…

' _ Since when had it been  _ my _ dad?  _ Why _ my dad...?' _ Noctis found himself twisting the sink knob until the water turned off, narrowed, searching eyes watching bitterly at the way the liquid swirled down the drain before disappearing completely. Swallowing the growing lump in his throat didn't help it break down. His vision ran blurry with a sniffle. "...Dad said… Dad said… he  _ loves _ me… no matter what I am or what I look like..." ' _...Was that not enough for him after all…?' _ Noctis knew he was asking a lot by continuing this arrangement. Far more than most people would consider giving. He  _ knew _ that in the deepest chambers of his heart he was a brat. Perhaps… Perhaps Regis wanted to be with someone who he could actually show off, for once… Someone he could take out to dinners within city limits and not dressed up in drag. Someone he could freely act domestic around…

...Something the older Caelim could never have with Noctis.

It was a lot, jealousy. Bitter. And hard. A feeling so foreign to a man who practically had the entire world in his palms since birth. Money, clothes, objects- Noctis had it  _ all _ . Anything he'd ever  _ wanted _ … But he'd never imagined that the one thing he needed- the one thing that he thought needed  _ him-  _ would be stolen away by the only other person he could openly state that he  _ had _ in this world… It was ironic, really.

And it  _ hurt _ . It stung, deeper than any physical pain he'd ever been through- not that those were many. He hardly left the house after all, and there was no one alive in all of Eos that would call him active, even if you paid them. But those facts hardly mattered. What  _ mattered _ was that the person Noctis loved-  _ loved, _ whether right or horribly, horribly wrong- had slept with someone else. Had held Prompto beneath him like the blonde was the  _ world,  _ making Noctis feel like… nothing more than a dying star within their orbit. When once, merely hours ago- litteral  _ hours _ \-  _ he _ had been that world to his father...

The younger Caelum sulked back into the dark bedroom, flipping off the bathroom lights, before slumping to the carpeted floor and pulling one of the tossed pillows close to his chest. He felt like his heart was breaking in two. No- three, even. "...They've been…" It was hard to even get the feelings out when earlier, while watching the scene, the only thing that had been on his mind was  _ lust _ . That same lust felt so distant now, almost unthinkable. "...That wasn't two people fuckong for the first time." Noctis knew from experience. Regis did nothing half-heartedly. The way he'd been touching Prompto, kissing him, thrusting into him, it was all so  _ intimate _ . Pace, severity, position- none of that mattered. But that  _ look _ … the way pale green irises almost seemed to  _ glow _ with praise, with lust, with  _ affection _ … It wasn't at all dissimilar from how Regis looked at him. And the only explanation for that look was, ' _...Love.' _

Noctis rolled over and punched the pillow before huffing another breath and tugging it back to his chest, nuzzling his face in it as if to apologize. Tears silently rolling down his face as he thought all of this through, he didn't know  _ what _ to feel. As soon as he thought he'd settled on something, the next wave of a new emotion would sweep him up in its tide and crash him into another. These same thoughts spiraled in his head, over and over, until the tracks wore him down with their depth.

...Where did he go, from here?

The time ticked by without sound and without a visual as Noctis remained on the floor. Until he couldn't feel his arm anymore. Until his spine cried out in protest of the hard floor for so long that it brought literal tears to his eyes and he finally had to switch sides. He didn't know how long he'd been in the bedroom or how long it would be before the first rays of light would play over his skin from through the dark curtains. But the distant, far-away sound of a shower running told Noctis, vaguely behind his internal crisis, that it was at least late (or early?) Enough for Regis to be getting ready for another long day of work.

And so, instead of seconds, he measured the passage of time through facts. Because if he was going to get anywhere, if he was going to be able to even  _ look _ at them again, he needed the facts. The little tidbits of truth that seemed to float through this darkness of his mind like a beautiful milky way. Closing his eyes, taking a few deep, much-needed breaths, Noctis licked his lips and thought.

Prompto…  _ 'He's my best friend... He's still my best friend.' _

Was he still mad?  _ '...Yes, I- I… think…? ...Upset. Upset is a better word for it.' _ The anger had finally simmered down not too long ago. A buzz instead of the magmatic bubbling and popping it once was, hours prior.  _ 'He was wrong for hiding it from me, but… but that's my viewpoint because that's my side of the story. From Prompto's side, I can… I can clearly see why he wouldn't tell me…' _

After all, Noctis was no different. He had committed the same sin, so to speak, albeit  _ much _ worse.

He thought about pale blonde hair, unruly and fluffy. Of sky blue eyes that showed  _ everything _ ; windows to perhaps the purest soul Noctis would ever know-  _ despite _ how tainted by carnal desires the younger Caelum now knew that soul to be. Of sun-kissed freckles and a laugh he'd often long to hear during boring college lectures and sleepless nights. Of years and years and years of birthday parties, school vacations, scraped knees, holes in walls, and the shared nerves of looking at report cards before having to hand it over to their parents. He thought of stupid little fights and the best make-up jam sessions  _ ever _ and the adorable way Prompto would pretend he  _ wasn't _ absolutely obsessed with Gladiolus, even before they officially became a thing. Of sleep-dazed reaching of hands along an empty side of the bed, unanswered, raspy calls of Prompto's name in the darkness, shared school lunches, and those cringey read-alouds of all those shitty, self-insert Harry Potter fanfictions Noctis had found hidden away deep in Prompto's closet, back when they were in middle school. Of school dances where Noctis would only scowl against the wall, reluctant to join in with the masses, and try not to laugh when Prompto would always decide to bring the dance to  _ him _ , jumping and flailing his noodle limbs and 'dancing' around him _. _ Texts filled with more memes than words, the shutter and flash of a camera on prom night, and how they'd both  _ promised _ they weren't crying during graduation but absolutely did. Of that first day of school when they'd met, stormy eyes blinking surprised up at impossible sky blues as the blonde sweetly asked,  _ "Want to be my friend?" _

And it was  _ obvious _ … So unavoidably obvious when compared to all the negative emotions that were coursing through his veins that night. That no matter the bad, no matter how wronged Noctis felt, the  _ good _ and the  _ history _ far outweighed it all. Even now, those negative emotions and she shell shock of it all was crumbling, falling to the floor alongside Noctis' sore body.

'... _ I still want him around. I still want to listen to his stupid rants about chocobos and tease him when he gets all tongue-tied and antsy... I still want to fall asleep next to him and be woken up way earlier than  _ humanly possible _ by him the mornings after… I still want to waste the days away playing video games or watching stupid movies… I still want  _ him.  _ There. Always… And i want my kids to be best friends with his kids. And then they'll fall in love with each other and get married and then we can  _ really _ call ourselves family.' _

Okay, so that last one was a self-indulgent fantasy. A pact they'd come up with during an outdoor sleepover for Prompto's birthday  _ ages _ ago.

Sue him. He still loved it, in all it's stupidly sweet glory.

He loved Prompto- like a friend, like the brother he never had- and… "If my dad makes Prompto happy  _ half _ as much as he makes  _ me _ happy, then… then I'm… I can live with that." And the words felt strange in his gut. Like fizzy soda, tingly and acidic. But it also loosened the weight around his ribs. Gave his lungs just that small slack in which to breathe a bit easier, despite the unsureness that still stood between them like a physical fog. Like jungle vines he'd have to push and shove through in order to breach that other side.

Noctis finally allowed the corners of his mouth to even out from the deep, worried scowl. With a grunt, he rocked himself off the floor to a sitting position. His eyes burned. He couldn't remember the last time he'd pulled an all-nighter. Probably never. But despite the way his body begged him to crawl onto the downy plush of the bed beside him, he refused. Because now it was time to think about something else. Something he'd never allowed himself to consider.

"If I can…" He swallowed, thickly, voice nothing above a whisper. As if afraid to voice the wish aloud and jynx himself into oblivion. "If i can…  _ accept _ . That Prompto and my dad fuck, then…" Another dry swallow. "...Maybe… maybe Prompto will accept my cross-dressing. A-and…  _ my _ relationship with my dad…"

The first secret? Probably, yeah, sure. There were worse things out there in the world to be into, he supposed. And compared to what Noctis had just seen,  _ very _ tame. The last secret, though? A thousand times less probable. And of course, Noctis knew he didn't  _ have _ to disclose any of it. Nothing at all. Not unless he was 100% comfortable with it. But… he  _ wanted _ to be comfortable with it. He  _ wanted  _ to be able to open up to Prompto. To be able to show off the cute dresses and skirts he finds online and ask which shade of lipstick looks best on him. To be called pretty and be pulled into a hug.

To be  _ accepted _ . At least in  _ some _ capacity.

And, hell, maybe it was time to come out. Maybe it was time. Because if not now, then when? If not to Prompto, then  _ who _ ? ...Luna had taken it in stride, despite their growing relationship. Perhaps… perhaps Prompto would be just as open to it.

He hoped.

Because if Prompto didn't, it would  _ crush _ him after all that mental battling.

So, with a few more long, steadying breaths and some slaps to his cheeks that didn't at all clear the urge to vomit, Noctis finally dropped the pillow he'd been cradling and stood up. Tried to calm his nerves and fall back into his lazy, indifferent body language. Tried not to worry his bottom lip with his teeth. "It's now or never, Noct."

**…**

"Noct!! Noct, I can explain, I swear!! I-!" Prompto busted into his best friend's bedroom, breaths falling between every other word spilled in heaping pants and sweat-soaked, clumsy skin. He skidded to a halt shortly after when the realization that the bedroom was swallowed in darkness made itself abundantly clear.

It was dark. Very dark. Just how Noctis liked it, black-out drapes blocking even the moonlight from having the audacity to even  _ think _ about waking the Caelum up. But for Prompto? Darkness meant uncertainty. It meant rejection. It meant  _ 'I don't want to look at you right now, Argentum. _ ' Because if Noctis was still on a first name basis with the other man at this point in time Prompto would be  _ shocked _ .

But he had no time to be shocked. Not when dread and guilt and fear is eating him alive, blocking his airway and blurring his vision. Not when he  _ can't fucking breathe _ . He needed Noctis. He  _ needed _ to see that angry, seething look and feel every screamed word beat upon his skin like corrosive acid.

Because anger meant  _ something _ . Anger meant a feeling. Sadness meant a  _ chance _ . And it was better than nothing. Better than dead, indifferent eyes and a cold shoulder, brushing Prompto off as if he were nothing.  _ Was _ nothing.

But nothing was exactly what he was met with.

"Noct-?" Nothing but stagnant silence and the slight echo of the blonde's voice rang back at his burning ears. "Noct, come on, don't-" Prompto's voice cracked, suppressing a sob. Behind him, somewhere down the hall, he could just faintly make out the sounds of Regis beginning to make his way out of the study. And if the older Caelum saw him hesitating at Noctis' door, calling out for him on the brink of a mental breakdown, there'd be no salvaging this. No sparing Regis from the damning knowledge that every relationship in this fucked-up triangle was now torn to shreds, slipping through Ptompto's fingers like fine sand. So, he closed the door behind him, drowning his vision in black. "-don't  _ do _ this."

Silence.

With knees threatening to buckle under the stress and uncertainty, the blonde swallowed the dryness at the back of his throat before clamoring for the wall nearby. And when freckled fingers fumbled for the light switch and the large bedroom finally came to light…

...there was no one to be found.

Prompto frantically wiped the spilling wetness from his eyes, indulging in the hope that maybe it was the reason he couldn't see Noct there in the bed like normal-like  _ always _ -

-But it didn't work.

"Shit! Shit- shit- shit- fuck-  _ shit _ .", the blonde cursed to himself in a high-pitched whine, head snapping in every direction. "Noct? You here, b-buddy?" Another crack in his voice. Desperation, bringing goosebumps to his flesh in the form of a cold shiver.

Buddy?  _ Ha... _ Laughable.

Not after what Prompto just did... Not after what Noctis just saw….

But Prompto kept holding onto that one, single thread of hope; their friendship. No matter how pulled taut and close to snapping it surely was. Because what else could he  _ do _ ?! If Noctis wasn't here, then where was he? And if Noctis wasn't here, then that meant Noctis didn't  _ want _ to be anywhere near Prompto. Which was... reasonable. Beyond reasonably, really. It went without saying that  _ anybody _ would need some alone time after that little display, sure.

But this was Prompto.

He crept further into the room, grasping at his own body, arms crossed over his chest. His sniffles sounded horribly pathetic in such an empty space. He thought, briefly, about leaving the room and searching for his friend. But that idea died out just as quickly as it came. Because that wasn't his right. This was Noctis' house and Noctis' choice and Noctis'  _ feelings _ … Prompto wouldn't seek him out and force that process, no matter how broken and twisted the blonde's insides felt while hanging in suspense. No matter how cold and lonely he was... It wouldn't be right of him to come into his friend's home, fuck his dad in front of him, and then tell him how to feel about it afterwards...

No, he'd stay. Stay awake as long as he could in the hopes of catching the younger Caelum returning to confront him about all of it; when they were both ready.

No matter how long it took. Even if Noctis would throw him out of the house until that time came, Prompto would keep trying. He'd hold onto that hope until there was nothing of it left. Until Noctis finally uttered those dreaded words,  _ "I don't think we should be friends any more." _

So, with a heavy heart, Prompto wiped at his eyes again with a sniffle and crawled into Noctis' bed. Everything smelled like the younger Caelum in a way that helped to settle his heart a fraction despite the way it also upticked it occasionally with the problem at hand. He pulled one of the pillows into his arms and smooshed his face into it as he cried, uncaring for the time being about the tear stains that would be in the fabric. Noctis was rich; the maids would get it dry-cleaned or something.

He laid there for what felt like hours, waiting. Sniffling. Wiping imaginary tear tracks from freckled cheeks, king dry from no more tears to shed. He thought over every action he'd ever made up to this point and cursed himself over and over for every decision. And then, in the end, when his tired, bloodshot eyes finally began to give into the increasing weight of his eyelids, he dared to hope. When every other emotion had been wrung out of him like a wet mop, thoughts dropping back into the sopping bucket. He  _ hoped _ … Hoped that Noctis would hear him out. Hoped that Noctis would forgive him for hiding such a disgusting secret. Hoped that Regis would forgive him for single-handedly tearing their small family apart if he didn't… He thought about how he'd go about finding a new place to live once Gladiolus surely dumps him on the streets and how he'd try his damnedest to find the Caelums a replacement security guard since the muscular man would surely not want to be around the source of his heartbreak…

And then everything went dark, despite the lights he'd refused to turn off in the bedroom. Despite the soft, morning rays of sunlight that Noctis' curtains blocked. Despite the nearly unobserved shift in gravity and the weight at his side. Only a mumbled, slurred, "Noct… Mm... sorr…"

**…**

Despite the multiple slaps to the face and the steady resolve he had determined to build up, confronting his demons was easier said than done. In no time at all, the miniscule amount of confidence began crumbling, little by little, with every step he took down the hallway.

Was this the right decision? What if Prompto came clean and Noctis didn't like what he had to say? What if Prompto didn't like what  _ Noctis _ had to say? What if Prompto poured his soul out, bared his heart, and Noctis accepted him, only to have the exact  _ opposite _ happen when it was Noctis' turn to do the same…?

But no, those were only half of his worries. And, somehow, the less anxiety-inducing of them.

What really had his pace faltering and his legs trembling were the even more uncertain questions. The ones that relied solely on his father, and his father alone. Prompto was one variable, yes. But Regis was another variable altogether; unpredictable and unstable.

Say that everything  _ did _ come out in the open… What would Regis think? What would he do? Who would he  _ choose _ ?

Noctis loved Prompto. At the end of the day, he'd  _ want _ Prompto to feel fulfilled and happy, probably, no matter the circumstance, most likely. But… if that meant giving up his own father…? He… couldn't exactly see that happening… If his father decided to drop what they have in order to fully pursue Prompto, then the younger Caelum's heart would rip in two… Noctis loved Prompto but he  _ loved _ Regis.

As the thoughts weighed even heavier on his chest, Noctis paused. Stared ahead of him at nothing in particular as the possible outcomes choked him and made the world around him blur. If he was nauseous before he was  _ definitely _ so now, hands coming up to grasp weakly at his stomach.  _ 'If Dad decides that he loves Prompto instead of me now, then… then… _ ' He knew what he'd do; no hesitation. Because as much as his heart would be broken in two, he'd choose his father's happiness over his own, selfish desires and insecurities. The fact that it would be Prompto was irrelevant, in the grand scheme of things. What would matter was that Regis was happy.  _ '...It still hurts, though…' _

"Oh. Noctis?" The younger Caelum blinked up in sudden surprise as Regis' voice washed over him from seemingly out of nowhere, calm, if not perhaps slightly out of breath due to running a tad behind, but inflected with just as much surprise as Noctis felt. A quick glance to his immediate right and Noctis discovered, with a sickening flip of his stomach, that he had stopped walking just outside of Regis' bedroom. The older Caelum appeared at the door frame, deep maroon suit on and briefcase in hand, hair perfectly styled back and out of his eyes. He looked effortlessly regal and handsome, drawing in Noctis' gaze like a magnet, the younger's heart skipping a beat before speeding up significantly.

And it  _ sucked _ , utterly and completely, how entirely  _ whipped _ Noctis was for him. How, with merely his presence, with only a look, his knees went weak and his breaths seemed to become stuck in his throat.

Regis' eyes swept over his son, oblivious to the man's mental freakout. He raised a brow. Looked to his watch for a moment before meeting Noctis' eyes once more. "You're up at an ungodly hour." Regis said it with one hundred percent seriousness, as though he himself wasn't also awake at the ass crack of dawn. It brought a small smile to Noctis' lips despite himself, one that the older Caelum mirrored easily. As if Noctis hadn't seen those lips on someone else. Hadn't heard the way he moaned someone else's name.

Noctis bit down the smile quickly, remembrance of what he'd seen and whatever leftover jealousy and anger that remained within him ghosting once more to the surface like an ex lover. He took a small step back, hands clasping behind him to prevent the urge to cross them at his chest. Stormy eyes left his father's pale greens to instead flicker toward the carpeted hallway floor, a light flush tainting his cheeks. "Uh- yeah... I guess." He could feel them again; the tears, so ready and eager to mist his eyes. It  _ hurt _ . Looking at him  _ hurt _ . Noctis fought to breathe evenly through the checking hold of betrayal and confusion across his ribcage. He felt like he was being ripped apart, every molecule in his body being tugged in one of two directions; the urge to slap Regis versus the urge to kiss him until they were both breathless.

There was silence as his father turned a curious glance in the direction Noctis had come from, down the hall. A room that definitely was  _ not _ Noctis' bedroom, nor anywhere that his son might occasionally hang out. ...But what did he know? Teenagers were strange. College kids, stranger. But there was still an edge to his low, silky voice when he idly commented, "Taking a walk?"

To this, Noctis flustered a bit. He shifted his weight on his feet, eyes widening a fraction as his brain struggled to come up with anything that wasn't a, "Yes?"

It failed. Because  _ of course _ it failed.

But how could he make coherent sentences that were anything but,  _ 'I saw you fucking my friend. What does that mean? Am I boring, after all? Am I not enough for you?' _ The morbid, more than anger-addled curiosity was hard to reel in. He didn't know how to feel, standing here before the man that knew how to break him apart and put him back together so perfectly, weighted by the knowledge he now knew. He didn't know how to feel about  _ anything _ anymore, but he had to try. Had to keep some semblance of normalcy until the hard, difficult conversations came to ahead before simmering back down.

...He'd promised himself to give Prompto that opportunity to explain it all away, didn't he?

Yes. And he  _ still _ wanted to see that through- no matter what venom his heart sputtered in its reflex. Still wanted to spare his father from any straight-forward judgements until his mind was entirely made up.

...Still wanted to feel himself wrapped in his father's loving embrace, shielded from everything and everyone that sought to harm them...

Noctis expected Regis to comment on his strange behavior. Perhaps tell him to come clean in that low, knowing,  _ fatherly _ baritone; the one that had his heart falling into his gut whenever it wasn't  _ painfully _ arousing. As if Noctis was a child again with his hand caught in the cookie jar long before dinner time. The boy steeled himself, muscles tense and eyes trained to the floor with an expectant grimace.  _ 'Here it comes- Noct, what's wrong? Tell me. You know you can't hide anything from me. We'll get it out of you one way or another- He's gonna  _ know _. He probably  _ already  _ knows.' _ Regis was smart like that; always seeming to understand Noctis without Noctis even understanding himself at times.

But, to his surprise, Regis merely sighed, long and wistful and easy. Noctis' head snapped up to meet the older man's affectionate gaze and one of Regis' hands rose to his nape, long fingers massaging into his skin and the baby hairs at the back of his scalp before that hand beckoned him closer. And like a wave comes crashing into the shore, Noctis obeyed the wordless command and stepped that much closer. It was intrinsic. Like he was floating, caught in Regis' orbit. Muscle memory. Something he didn't even have to  _ think _ about, and he was grateful for finally  _ having _ something- just  _ one _ thing- he didn't have to think about.

All Noctis' bundled-up, heavy emotions melted away with the fluttering of his lashes, eyes falling closed as Regis lips brushed against his own. A light pressure, reverent, sweet and simple. As if he was something precious; something easily broken. And Noctis hummed into the contact, body practically  _ singing. _ Because this-  _ this _ was  _ want _ . Unvocalized yet conveyed so sensually; familiar and comforting and  _ real _ . Realer than the tumultuous thoughts in his mind and ten times more solid. Grounding. There wasn't a single ounce less of all the affection and love that his father had ever previously pressed upon him, and in that one, simple action it clarified half of Noctis' unspoken worries.  _ 'He loves me. He still loves me.' _ It was spoken in each smack, each push and pull of their lips together, each drag of their breaths. Noctis grasped the front of his father's suit and put more pressure against the older man's lips, angling his head to deepen the kiss and revelling in the sigh of both surprise and contentment that brushed across his face between them. But Regis didn't dare deepen it, though. Not out in the open, Prompto somewhere unknown and able to pop up and see them at any moment.

So, reluctantly, the older Caelum was the first to pull away with one more light peck of his lips. When they broke apart and Noctis' eyes hesitantly fluttered back open, stormy eyes meeting a shocking, vibrant green mere inches from him, he couldn't help but release the breath he had been holding. The smile that upturned his lips felt far too easy, far too euphoric, and he didn't dare allow his own second thoughts to drag the feeling down again. Not this time.

"I love you." Regis' words filled him up like an overflowing mug of hot chocolate, warm and sweet and decadent to the senses. Noctis let the feeling drown him as he took a step back, seperating, hands still weakly clinging to the lapels of Regis' suit jacket.

"I love you, too."  _ 'Forever.' _ And he tried not to think about how, depending on how the day's events went, it would be the last time they said it to each other and meaning the same thing behind it.

Regis straightened and gave another glance to his watch. He clicked his tongue in frustration and brushed past. "Running late today." It was more of a mutter to himself than the younger Caelum, but he still ruffled Noctis' hair affectionately as he walked by. "Be good." Noctis worried his bottom lip with his teeth for a moment- but only for a moment. Without thinking, the younger man grasped the order's wrist, halting him in his steps. "Noctis?"

Noctis swallowed. Didn't look into his eyes as his mind scrambled to catch up to what his heart was telling him to do. "I'm going to do something today. Probably…" Another dry swallow. "Probably something stupid."

Regis took his son in quietly, raking his eyes over his withdrawn demeanor. And again, after a beat of silence, Noctis expected him to pry. But he didn't. Merely uttered a careful, "...Should I stay home today?"

Noctis shook his head. Slowly, at first. As if convincing himself. "...No. No, it'll be fine. I just…" Finally, their eyes met from beneath black fringe, the younger Caelum's eyes for once unreadable with a foreign mix of emotions waging wars in his deep blue irises. "I just wanted to tell you. Ig guess… I guess thinking about having someone to come back to afterwards is… comforting. In its own way."

Regis hardly looked convinced. His son was speaking in riddles and whispers, looking as if someone close to him had passed away or something of the sort, and it unsettled him to the bone. A look reminiscent of when he'd lost his mother, or when the cat he'd gotten the boy as a child ran away. He opened his mouth, meaning to say something profound, something helpful, but then closed it just as quickly after a sharp intake of breath. Because he knew his son. And if the boy was in trouble, he  _ knew _ that all he had to do was ask. And if he wasn't asking, then all he was requesting between the lines was support from the sidelines. Well, one thing Regis had, if nothing else, was all the love and support his son could possibly need and want. So his bearded lips turned up in a small, fond smile and he set his briefcase to the floor and opened his arms, same as he had the day prior. And nothing felt better than the way his son fell into him and held him tightly, breathing in his scent and melting into the familiar embrace. Regis carded his fingers through Noctis' hair and kissed the crown of his head. "...Always, Son. I'll always be here… You know that. I told you as much the day before, or have you forgotten?"

The tease came with a deep chuckle and the fond memories it brought to the forefront of Noctis' mind had a blush blooming across his pale cheeks and an infectious smile upturn his lips. He shook his head, cheek pressed against Regis' chest. "No, I didn't forget." He sighed, long. Willed his courage to return. That it would stay, even long after Regis eventually left for work. He felt so safe, so powerful and  _ fragile _ in his father's arms, and a big part of him never wanted to leave. "...Thanks, Dad."

Eventually, the embrace had to end, though. Sooner rather than later. And Noctis watched Regis descend down the stairs and out of eyesight with misty eyes and a fond smile. He felt lighter. More confident in his decision. And he let that empowerment carry him the rest of his way down the hall, into his bedroom.

**…**

Sleep had never felt so much like he'd been hit with a  _ bus _ until Prompto's dreamless bubble slowly busted. His nose scrunched up, eyes shutting tighter as he groaned, long and suffering, limbs stretching out like a cat's across Noctis' downy bed. Every muscle in his thighs and lower back  _ ached _ , drumming in time with his steady, sleep-groggy heartbeat. He'd surely be walking with a limp, that was for sure…

' _ Wait.' _

_ 'Wait- fuck!!' _

All remnants of sleep disappeared; the bubble bursted. All memories of Regis' fingertips gliding across his sensitive skin and large hands groping his ass and thighs. The sweet drag of a cock against his insides, hitting deep and pulling moan after moan from his hoarse throat- gone in an instant as the cold reality hit him like a slap in the face. Sky blue eyes snapped open, mind catching up to what had happened just before falling asleep. How he even  _ fell _ asleep, he had no idea. But the dip of the bed next to him, the slow, steady intakes of breath mixed with a muffled snore that sounded far too close to him had Prompto's heart pounding inside his chest and the hairs on his arms standing on end.

With little more than a yelp before his freckled hands could fly to his face and cover his mouth, Prompto threw himself out of the bed. He stared, wide-eyed, at his best friend, sleeping peacefully, unaware of the disturbance at his side. "Noct?!" The man's name was a high-pitched whisper. One that wouldn't normally rouse the Caelum, and thankfully didn't now. When had he gotten there? Why hadn't he woken him up? How- Why- How-?!

Prompto's brows furrowed and his hand fell away from his mouth as he just stood there, watching, with bated breath. Noctis was  _ here _ … same as always. As if… as if nothing ever happened. But the way the blonde's body disagreed with his movements and the sticky, somewhat crusty sensation of dried cum mixed with lube on his body was more than enough evidence to know for certain that it did. That he hadn't merely dreamed any of it. But- but if so, then… why…?

"...Why is he here?", Prompto finished silently, to himself. He just couldn't fathom it. Noctis should be  _ pissed,  _ he should be  _ livid _ , but… but here he was, sleeping next to Prompto and looking so peaceful.

The thought to wake Noctis up came and went. He knew just how cranky the other boy got whenever he was awoken before his own body told him to, and if Noctis  _ was _ pissed, that action surely wouldn't help Prompto's cause. And he didn't want to crawl back into the bed and risk the shift in gravity to wake Noctis up that way, either. So, the freckled man opted to slowly, as silently as he could, walk backwards until he was inside of Noctis' bathroom. And once the door was firmly closed between them, he rested against it with a heavy sigh.

He needed a shower.

Prompto let the water cascade over his body and just stood there, mainly. Prolonging the inevitable. Staring off into space. Thinking about all the horrible things Noctis was sure to say to him as soon as he'd wake up and remember that Prompto had  _ betrayed _ him… And, really, after a while the taste of that thought soured far too much in his mouth before he allowed himself to swallow it down again. Because where anxiety and guilt had the blonde's heart in a chokehold the previous night, the feeling was now more akin to reluctance and disappointment.

...Was it really so wrong? Sure, there was an age difference... And, ok, yeah, Regis  _ was _ his best friend's dad... And, fine, whatever, Prompto  _ did _ have an  _ actual _ boyfriend who treated him as though he was the most valuable treasure on Eos…. But it wasn't as though Prompto was sleeping with a  _ married  _ man. Noctis' mom had been out of the picture since before he even  _ knew _ Noctis. And he had absolutely  _ no _ intention of  _ marrying _ Regis- whether it be for wealth or otherwise. So it wasn't as if he was some home-wrecking thief of a slut.

_ 'No offense to those who make their living from drawing out the pleasures of others, though.' _ The blonde fist-pumped the air as he thought, to no one in particular. Then cringed at himself for the action afterwards.  _ 'You do you. Get that bread.' _

No... Prompto was just…  _ Prompto _ .

And he  _ loved _ what he had with Regis. So much so that he didn't  _ want _ it to stop… He understood the consequences of his actions- more than most would. He realized that he'd been playing with fire, his hand hovering closer and closer to the flame, realizing the threat of getting burned but feeling far to confident in his well-kept secret to be as careful as they used to be. So he  _ knew _ what the consequences would be. That he would either be forced to never see Regis again and keep Noctis' friendship or keep Regis as a lover and discard years and years of friendships… And he knew, given the choice, he'd choose Noctis. He'd always choose Noctis. Because their friendship was worth more than some dick- a  _ very _ talented dick, granted, but a dick nonetheless.

But, damnit, Prompto  _ wanted _ this. He loved having a scandalous secret; something to call his and his alone. Loved having the attentions and affections of a man he still thought to be  _ highly _ out of his league. Loved the danger, the sneaking, and how it heightened his sexual pleasure. How he spent a good portion of his money covering up lingering hickies and juggling his actions with Regis and his actions with Gladiolus. He loved how dominant Regis would become, whenever Prompto purposefully flaunted love bites from his boyfriend in front of the older man. How Regis would pound into him even hard than normal, pull his hair, make him see  _ stars _ . He  _ needed _ it. Like a safety blanket, wrapping him with warmth and reassurance.

Prompto wasn't conceited-  _ far _ from it. He knew just how awkward he was, daily. How clumsy, forgetful, and how he often tripped over his words. He was also aware of how lanky he seemed, blotches of freckles covering every inch of his pasty skin like flecks of dirt over his pale, pasty skin. How his eyesight wasn't the best without his glasses and how often he refused to wear them anyways, knowing full well that they made him look like an absolute dork… Je had to live with himself and these traits for longer than he cared to remember while always being arm-in-arm with arguably one of the  _ hottest _ boys in their school, Noctis fucking Lucis Caelum  _ himself _ . Mr. RicherThanEveryone, Mr. PerfectHumanBeing, Mr.HowTheFuckAreYouEvenFriendsWithSomeoneLikeMe?... And it sucked, more often than not. Noctos was  _ great _ , Noctis was his  _ best friend _ , but… Prompto was… nobody. Ever. He had too many flaws, too many confidence issues, and just a tad bit of body image problems as well, at times… But with Regis, he was  _ everything _ . He felt desired, confident, sexy,  _ wanted _ . And yes, he also had that with Gladiolus now-that was the purpose of everything, in the beginning, anyways-, but you never forget your first.

Without Regis' handling, without that smouldering look igniting fire beneath his skin, without those rough, deep words of praise that filled his heart fit to bursting, Prompto felt…  _ empty _ . Empty in the sense that something constantly seems to be  _ missing _ . Like a drug; an addiction. He craves the high that only Regis can give him.

Prompto thumped his head against the shower wall with a heavy sigh, water rolling over his closed eyes in steady rivulets. "...You gotta give it up, Prommy… Noct's more important…" Even his own 'encouraging' speech to himself sounded depressing in his own ears, causing him to shake his head. But despite the way his gut twisted, his resolve was stronger. He  _ would _ choose Noctis. He'd do whatever he had to to keep their friendship alive. He just hoped that Noctis would accept his pathetic grovelling…

After a few more reluctant minutes just standing around and attempting to build up a monologue, Prompto finally cleaned himself up before stepping out of the shower and drying himself off. Tying the towel around his waist, Prompto silently and carefully opened the bathroom door open, hoping to find a change of clothes and put them on without waking the sleeping Noctis.

Only Noctis was no longer asleep.

"Oh- Uh- H-hey.", is all the blonde can seem to spit out, stupidly stuttered. Again. Noctis is sitting on his bed against the headboard, knees drawn to his chest and fingers laced together on top of them. Hair still sticking out a bit randomly due to sleep (or probably from the inner turmoil that comes with witnessing your best friend sleep with your dad. Most likely the inner turmoil), the Caelum's eyes locked onto Prompto silently from beneath dark fringe. His eyes looked dark. Tired. Otherwise, there was no particular emotion to be found, and that terrified Prompto. He's about to word vomit; he can feel it making its way up his throat like a fountain the longer that disconcerting gaze lingers on him. His fingers tremble and he clutches the towel around his waist to counteract it.

But Noctis speaks. It's feint. A little awkward. Ok-  _ very _ awkward, as he glances down Prompto's body, once, before licking his lips almost like an afterthought and snapping that gaze back to his face instead. "...Hey." Noctis dipped his head in the direction of his closet as he idly (nervously?) grasped at a strand of hair, twirling it around a finger. "You, uh- gonna stand there naked all day, or…?"

Oh. Shit.  _ Fuck _ . Right. He was an  _ idiot. _

"Shit- yeah, uh… yeah." Prompto almost tripped over his own two feet as he darted into the walk-in closet, out of sight from Noctis yet still burning inside from that gaze that he could just  _ feel _ on him, even though from this vantage it was practically impossible. Unless Noct could see through walls, which, at this ultimate low of bad luck, Prompto wouldn't doubt. This time he couldn't stop the trembling in his freckled fingers as he rummaged through the racks of clothes.  _ 'He's pissed. Fuck- definitely pissed.' _ Why else would those eyes have been so dark, so focused? As though Prompto was the specimen of some lab experiment and Noctis was looking for any answer he could find beneath the blonde's skin. ' _ But… he's talking to me. _ ' And that was… good. He thinks. It's… a start. After throwing on some black sweatshirt and a matching pair of sweatpants-  _ 'Just  _ what _ is so special about the color black, anyways?'- _ he took one last, hesitant moment to nibble on his lower lip with a rattling exhale before stepping back into Noctis' room.

He hadn't moved at all in the small amount of time, still curled in on himself and looking impossibly small yet so impossibly imposing, the starry skies of Noctis' blue irises locked onto his friend's sky blues. Deep and intense, unwavering, like an attack dog.

Like a friend.

And, surprisingly, he was the first to speak. Softer than Prompto expected. Hoarser, too, from sleep and… other things. Things probably far too similar to the ugly crying the blonde had done for half the night. Small and unsure, yet also strangely heavy with decision, maybe. That didn't make sense. Prompto wasn't making sense. But all Prompto knew was that Noctis was looking more serious and contemplative and-  _ hopeful? _ than he'd ever seen them in their entire friendship. More so than when they'd contemplated colleges, more than when they'd discovered their own sexualities and discussed it for the first time during one of their sleepovers, each boy trembling with a stoic sort of fear about what the other would think and whether or not that changed anything between them. It didn't, and Prompto prayed to every Astral out there that they would make it through this as well.

Noctis licked his lips, eyes downcasting. "We should talk about this. I… I think I'm ready to talk about it."

"That's my line." The quip came easily. So did the half-smirk followed by the stilted wisp of laughter, but it didn't reach his eyes. Didn't reach his heart. Noctis flickered that gaze up to him again, brows furrowing with confusion? Anger? Who knew. Prompto's false smile fell like a sack of bricks right afterwards and he shook his head. Carefully crawled onto the bed until he was sitting in front of Noctis, legs crossed and hands clamped painfully around his own ankles to prevent the nervous fidgeting as he cleared his throat. "Sorry. Sorry, I just-" He closed his eyes. Took a deep, steadying breath. "...Yeah. We… we should. Talk about it, t-that is…"

A stale silence fell over the two of them. So close yet neither man was looking at the other. But when that silence broke, Noctis' tone was hardened at the edges. Distant, almost.

_ Hurt. _

"...How long?" And it was a fair demand disguised as a question... Not that Prompto deserved fair.

The blonde's nails dug into the skin of his ankles. "...Since graduation." He couldn't stop the curiosity of what emotion his answer would warrant, and when his gaze bounced up to his friend's face again, the Caelum looked surprised, still staring down at a random spot of the duvet.

Noctis nodded. Slowly, working to put the pieces together in his own time, at his own rate, and Prompto barely remembered to breathe until the next question. This time Noctis' voice was tinged with confusion more than anything. Curiosity too, perhaps. Something that hinted, perhaps, at anger but without the intensity. "What about Gladio? That's… pretty much around the same time you guys became official." No resentment. Nothing on Gladiolus' behalf. Just, the question, plain and simple. And the fact that Noctis wasn't already screaming at him at this point was making his heart stutter unevenly, his body a mass of anxiety. As though he could expect the switch any second.

Prompto shrugged, his face a mixture between a heated, embarassed flush and a disgusted grimace at what he was about to admit. "...I guess I had thought…  _ 'What he doesn't know won't hurt him _ '…?" The almost flippant-esque response made Prompto an asshole, he was more than sure. The sensation felt like oil on his skin, sliding into his gut like corrosive sludge meant to burn and tear. He continued, as Noctis' focused stare bore into him, "Regis was… Regis was my  _ first _ . Even before Gladio." And as sick and twisted about the Gladiolus aspect of this sinful agreement between him and Regis was, it all sort of softened around the edges when he thought about his first time.  _ All _ off his firsts- with  _ Regis _ . And maybe it made that sludge easier to swallow. And yeah, maybe that made him an even bigger piece of garbage for it. But… But the way Regis made him  _ feel _ , the connection he felt they had, was...  _ precious _ .

The way Noctis' eyes seemed to go glossy and his lips seemed to tremble before he forcefully bit them back, though, wasn't.

Not in the least bit.

Noctis looked away again. He was quiet for a long while aside from the occasional sniffle. And although Prompto didn't dare look at him during, he could see how the younger Caelum wiped at a frustrating wetness along his cheeks. It only twisted the knife in the blonde's heart further, until the rims of his own eyes began burning for a similar release. But… why was  _ Noctis _ crying? For what reason...? For Prompto's lost virginity, given to a man more than twice his age and who could never have the capacity to actually love him? For Gladiolus, hopelessly in love with a man who couldn't give up a weekly booty call and commit? Prompto wanted to ask him. The questions burned a hole in his throat where he held him, because he didn't  _ dare _ ask them. They weren't as important as Noctis finding his own closure.

The tears didn't last long. With Noctis, they never did. But the words were still hoarse and strained as he next uttered, carefully, hesitant, "...Do you love him?"

It was an important question. One that, had Prompto been on the reverse edge of this reality, he would also want to ask as well. And as fond as Prompto was of Regis, as  _ amazing _ their sex was and how much he was absolutely certain he didn't want to stop the trists, the answer fell from his bitten lips rather easy. "No! Of course not!" The blonde couldn't grasp his friend's hands fast enough, freckled fingers weaving between Noctis' own pale ones as he grasped tightly. He caught the younger Caelum's gaze in a desperate stare, hoping to get his point across as best that he could. "I- I love  _ Gladio _ . Mr. Caelum is just. Well… he's  _ fun _ . Dangerous. Thrilling, really. And I- Gods, I'm  _ so _ fucking sorry, Noct." Promtpo shook his head helplessly as the tears began flowing freely. "It was-it was supposed to be just  _ 'practice' _ , you know? Some things I could use on Gladio so I wouldn't look like an  _ idiot _ . B-but…  _ I don't know! _ We set so many rules, and then we  _ broke _ them, and- I fucked up. I'm sorry Noct, but we couldn't  _ stop _ . We didn't  _ want _ to stop." He didn't expect Noctis to understand but,  _ Gods _ , he wanted him to. Wanted him to know that all of this was just supposed to be temporary. That it got out of hand. Addictive.

"But... Gladio?"

Prompto threw his head into his hands, digging the heels of his palms into his eyes hard enough to see stars behind the blacks of his eyelids. "I  _ know _ ! I'm- i'm fucked up... I'm the worst person ever...!" And he takes that thought in. Lets it eat him alive.

For a moment, all that was left between them was silence, punctuated by the blonde's pathetic, ugly sobbing. His whimpered apologies that flowed from his trembling lips like a waterfall of regrets. Begged for forgiveness in whispered, hiccuped slurs. And Noctis sat there all the while,, so close yet so far, staring. Watching. Shifting atop the blankets, just out of his friend's bleary eyesight. Prompto felt like his heart was  _ breaking _ under his friend's scrutinizing stare, wordless and numb-feeling. Because this was his punishment for his sins.  _ This _ \- losing Noctis' love, his sympathy, his friendship. Years of smiles, tears, and moments he'd never get back and never wanted to lose.

_ 'Noctis doesn't want me anymore. I've ruined it. I've ruined everything.' _

He saw it coming. He was prepared for it, more or less;  _ had _ to be, whether he wanted to or not, because that was just the way these things went, right?

But then, entirely unexpectedly, Noctis is  _ there _ . Arms wrapped around Prompto, pulling him in close so that the other man could feel his body heat like the rising sun itself; warm and all-encompassing. He felt the younger Caelum's breaths against his shoulder, dampening the material of his sweatshirt with its humidity. Sky blue eyes snapped open. Freckled hands flexed, uncertain. He wanted nothing more than to hug Noctis back, but- what did this mean? "N… Noct?" Prompto's voice was a hoarse whisper tinged with hope. The tiny butterflies in his stomach refused to stop fluttering, threatening to fly out through his ribcage, and he swallowed back a sob of relief. "Noct, w-what-?"

"...You're not a bad person, Prom." The statement was presented with so much raw sincerity that Prompto had no choice but to  _ believe _ . He wrapped his arms around his friend's neck and pulled him closer still. Until his tears could soak into Noctis' t-shirt along with his broken cries. Noctis let him, clinging to the shirt at Prompto's back. "What happened, happened... And the heart wants what the heart wants." The younger Caelum huffed a bitter laugh. "I think I might know the consequences of that more than anyone, actually."

"H-huh?" The blonde wiped at his eyes with a sniffle.

Noctis pulled back with a wry half-smile. Of pity and understanding and so,  _ so _ much forlorn love. It had Prompto's breath getting caught in his throat, brows raising. "Nothing.", the black-haired boy replied. He ruffled the blonde's unruly, wet hair with a pale hand. Prompto lost himself in Noctis' eyes; how they looked over him like he was still  _ him _ . Like he hadn't just turned the man's world upside down and inside out.

"S-so… you… You forgive me?"

Noctis took a deep inhale. Steeled himself with a sharp nod. Then, eventually, "...Yeah. I forgive you. You're my best friend, after all." Prompto couldn't help it. He tugged his friend tighter once more, smooshing his freckled cheek against his beating heart as another wave of tears rushed out. Noctis merely took it in stride, chuckling under his breath. He gave Prompto all the time he needed, rubbing hands up and down his spine and rocking them back and forth."Besides, I'd be the biggest hypocrite in the world if I didn't forgive you for hiding such a big secret…" Prompto's eyes widened. But before he could open his mouth to ask for clarification on exactly  _ how _ it would be hypocritical of Noctis to do so, the Caelum gently released the blonde to scoot off the bed. He extended a hand, a hopeful, uncharacteristically  _ nervous _ expression in his eyes. It sent Prompto's stomach into a summersault. "...Here. I want to show you something."

**…**

Nervous was an understatement.

Noctis felt as though each step he took was wading him deeper and deeper into unsteady, choppy water. As though his own anxiety was pushing against his body, physically trying to keep him away from what he was about to show Prompto. But the blonde's hand within his own was warm; soft if not a little clammy, anchoring him. He didn't speak, afraid to break the comfortable silence. But Prompto's soft sniffles from behind him didn't go unnoticed. He squeezed the younger man's hand within his own as another silent apology.

All this time, he'd spent thinking about himself and how  _ he _ felt... He hadn't stopped to consider how Prompto felt throughout it all. Hadn't stopped to consider the possibility that the freckled boy was internally torn up about the situation as well. The tears had been too much for Noctis; he couldn't stand to see his best friend, the literal ball of dopey  _ sunshine _ out of the two of them, so hurt and upset and  _ scared _ . Scared for a friendship that Noctis had already adamantly decided he wasn't going to break up, no matter what. That being said, he was grateful for Prompto for coming out as openly and honestly as he did. It took a lot of courage to do that…

The walk to Regis' room felt far shorter than it usually did and had any reason to be, half of Noctis wishing that they never arrived. But his father's room was the only place he could keep his belongings without bringing too much attention to why they were there. No one would suspect Regis Caelum,  _ 'Insomnia's _ (twice voted in the past five years, might I add)  _ Most Eligible Bachelor' _ , of having paraphernalia belonging to women. After all, he was a single man and a widow. It just… made sense? More than  _ Noctis _ having any of it, anyways- especially during his middle and high school years. It was a hobby-turned-fetish that neither Caelum particularly wished to see make its way into the daily papers.

And it didn't make it any easier, showing Prompto. But he pushed open the door to his father's room with a false sense of confidence that he hoped his body could play along with and moved to go inside. Only to be stopped when Prompto's hand tugged against his own, the blonde rooted into place behind him like stone. His eyes raised as he turned to give the other boy a questioning glance, dread flowing up his spine like ice. "...What? What's wrong?"

The blonde seemed to curl into himself, wide eyes darting between him and what little of Regis' room he could peer at through the cracked door. "I-I. We never- I mean…" He swallowed before rubbing the back of his neck with a hand, the other still clutching Noctis' almost desperately. "Your dad and I, we never. Well, u-uh…" At Noctis' obvious continual confusion, he blushed deeply, looking down to the floor. "Am I…  _ allowed _ in here?", is what was settled on.

_ 'Oh... He's never been in Dad's bedroom before?' _ Not surprisingly, a glimmer of smug, self-indulgent giddiness welled up inside Noctis' heart and he basked in it for an indulgent second, smiling. Because even though he'd come to terms with and had more or less accepted his father's and Prompto's illicit affair, it made him feel impossibly prideful that their trists hadn't made it into the older Caelum's bedroom whatsoever; a place only  _ Noctis _ had gone. The bedroom was like their sanctuary, sacred and  _ theirs _ .

But Noctis was prepared to break that sanctity.

He huffed a laugh and tugged once again on his friend's hand, opening the door wider and pulling them into the room. He decided to brush off Prompto's worries with a calm, "Uhhhhhh,  _ duh? _ You're practically family, Prom. Our house may as well be your house too, at this point."

Still, Prompto worked against his friend's fast-paced footfalls with his own hesitant ones. He took in every detail of Regis' room with wide, awe-struck eyes. Even the simplest of things seemed to be special and wondrous to the freckled man and Noctis could only watch, a small smirk sneaking across his lips. Prompto looked around as though the space was Heaven itself; something not meant for mortal eyes, but that shined and glimmered like it was everything Man desired, all wrapped into one and locked away behind golden gates until those who were deemed worthy bid its entrance. It took him a few seconds to finally look back to Noctis' back and finally ask, "Why are we in here, anyways?"

Noctis shrugged. Continued to walk through his father's room and toward the man's walk-in closet. "I had something to show you, remember?"

Prompto swallowed, dry. "Y-yeah, but…  _ Here? _ "

A humored scoff. "Yeah?" He threw open the closet's double doors and tugged Prompto along with him. The space was almost the size of the bedroom itself. They reached a back corner quickly, filled to the brim with hanging dresses, skirts, crop tops, blouses, stocking, and shoes to last any woman a lifetime. And hidden away in drawers, jewelry, sunglasses, makeup and various hair accessories. Noctis turned to Prompto, nerves finally working their way back up his spine, causing him to shift his weight between his feet and tug at the bottom of his t-shirt. "Okay. This is it. What I wanted to show you."

Prompto looked around and blinked, adorably oblivious. "...Okay? A closet. Cool."

Noctis nibbled along his lips, the suspense  _ killing _ him. He wanted to grab the boy by his shoulders and  _ shake the shit out of him _ , but he couldn't suppress the fond eye roll at Prompto's stupidity before the hesitance and nerves settled back in. He shook his head. "No,  _ this _ -" He quirked his head toward the women's clothing a few exaggerated times, hoping that this time Prompto would understand. "-is it."

It was like watching a silent movie. Prompto's eyes left Noctis' to instead stare behind him and take it all in. Emotions reflected on his face in an almost comical mix of confusion, surprise, shock, more confusion, and then something Noctis couldn't quite name came. They and went, one after another, in rapid succession. His mouth floundered a bit, cheeks growing more pink with every passing second. "Oh! Oh." Their eyes locked with a quick snap of sky blue. " _ Oh. _ "

Noctis could feel himself flush and he could taste blood on his lips. He flicked his tongue out to swipe along them in afterthought as he forced himself to stop. Brows knitted together, he tugged at the hem of his shirt and whispered a hesitant, "A-and…?", when there were no further words.

Prompto repeated the question like a parrot, head quirked to the side and eyes comically wide. "And?"

The Caelum pushed out a sigh and ran a clammy hand over his face. "I, uh… yeah. These are all… mine? I kind of- no, I  _ have _ been- crossdressing." He paused to catch his breath again, his lungs feeling impossibly tight under his best friend's unreadable expression. He wasn't used to being unable to read the blonde like a book and the feeling was accompanied with the sensation of the floor disappearing beneath his feet. Suddenly the large, walk-in closet was closing in on them. It was hard to breathe, so he spat words out like vomit. "Since probably longer than I've known you even…? Dad, uh- yeah, Dad knows. He supports it, and so does Luna, and-" His eyes widened. " _ Shit _ , I  _ did _ tell Luna before you, didn't I?  _ Fuck _ , I'm the  _ worst _ friend ever... But- um. Yeah, so she's cool with it...? But that's besides the point. I guess basically what I'm trying to say is that… I'm sorry? That I haven't told you, that is. I just… I didn't want you to throw me away for it. It's… not something everyone can handle?"

He couldn't meet Prompto's eyes as the confession fell from his lips to join the suffocating air around him. And the fact that Prompto still hadn't said a single thing afterwards wasn't helping. "You… You really thought I'd throw you away for something as small as this?"

Noctis' head snapped up, mouth dropping open in a nervous laughter. " _ Small _ ? Prom, this- this is  _ huge _ ! If the press ever found out-"

Prompto shrugged. Took a small step forward. "I'm not the press, Noct. I'm your best friend." His hesitant, genuine smile melted Noctis' heart as freckled arms pulled him into a tight hug. "And I'd never think of you any less, no matter what." Noctis suppressed a sob as relief washed over him, light and overwhelming. He could  _ breathe _ again. "I'm a little sad that Luna and your dad knew before me, but I'm also really glad you at least had someone to share this with instead of no one at all." Prompto pulled back and wiped away the tears Noctis hadn't even realised had been falling away with the pads of his thumbs. They both shared a laugh, soft and sweet and perfect. When he pulled away, Prompto's smile was vibrant. He ran his fingers along the dresses hanging up, eyes glowing with interest. "So- how often?"

Noctis shrugged with a sniffle, wiping the remaining fear from his eyes with a smile. "How often do I wear this stuff?" Prompto nodded without looking away from the various glittering and shimmering outfits; clothes fit for a princess or a queen. "Less often than I'd like to, since I'm away. But Luna goes clothes shopping with me occasionally and we try on makeup together." The Caelum walked leisurely behind his friend, hands clasped pleasantly behind his back. "So, yeah. There you go. A secret for a secret. We're even now."

Prompto rolled his eyes before crouching down, opening a drawer and gaping at the jewelry he found there. "Yep! And- holy  _ shit _ , Noct, these cost more than my fucking  _ tuition _ ."

Noctis smiled as an idea crept in. "...You wanna see it in person? Me in girls' clothing, that is."

Prompto looked at him as though it were Christmas day. "C-can I?! You'd be okay with that?"

He smirked. "Why wouldn't I be? I feel most comfortable in girls' clothes. Like…" He thought for a moment, eyes glossing over and expression nostalgic and calm. "...being  _ free _ . Being myself."

And how could Prompto say no to that? Naturally, he was curious. "You  _ know _ I want to!"

Noctis' soul felt giddy. His entire body buzzed with an excitement suddenly too large for the walk-in closet to contain. "Okay. Here- help me pick out some things."

**…**

That's how Prompto finds himself back in Noctis' room, sitting obediently and patiently with his back turned to the bathroom door as his best friend changes.

He'd be lying if he said that all of this wasn't a complete shock to him. Noctis had hidden his secret so well that the blonde would have thought of a  _ least _ a hundred other possible secrets before this one. But surprise melted into an excitement that fluttered in his gut, light and jittery, making his limbs restless. He moved his foot to an invisible beat, his hands occupying themselves with a game of King's Knight on his phone. To say he was curious was an understatement; in such a short time since knowing the Caelum liked to cross-dress, curiosity was slowly threatening to overwhelm him and it was taking everything in him not to sneak a peek. Noctis already looked so ethereally handsome in a way that Prompto had absolutely  _ not _ wasted time late at night pondering over for hours on end instead of studying. Nope. Never.

But it was  _ there _ , subtle and alluring, drawing in the gaze of everyone in a room. He was taking after his father more and more in his presence recently and the thought of a little leg and some eyeliner was enough to make the blonde's gut flip in a pleasant unpleasantness.

"So how long does this normally take?" There was no irritation in his voice. Just pure curiosity as his game character finished defeating the boss of his current dungeon.

Noctis' chuckle was warm and uneven, slightly muffled from the distance between them and whatever the older boy was doing. "Hmmm… depends. If I go all out it can take upwards of an hour. But this is pretty simple. I'm actually almost done." The smirk in that tone had Prompto's ears burning with the next words, "What's wrong? Impatient much?"

Prompto rolled his eyes with a smile. "It's not every day you get to see your best friend in a skirt."

Noctis hummed, thoughtfully. "Might be more often than you think, now. You know, since you're in on it and all."

There it was; another fluttering, tight sensation, low in his gut. One that had the burning on his ears spreading to the back of his neck. "Oh, yeah. Neat!" Why was he so  _ nervous _ ? This was just Noct- same old sleepy, emotionally constipated, stupidly and effortlessly handsome  _ Noct _ . The same man he'd spent countless sleepovers with as kids. He'd witnessed him wet the  _ bed _ for Astrals' sake! But here he was, fiddling around and trying to keep his mind off how the other's thighs would feel beneath his fingers, like he was some damned  _ virgin _ .

Finally, after what felt like forever, the bathroom door opened. "Okay. Ready. You can turn around now." The speed in which Prompto fumbled his phone and nearly dropped it before slipping it back into his pocket and simultaneously turning around was  _ painfully _ cringey. Noctis not-so-subtly snickered during it but Prompto hardly noticed at all as his eyes widened, impossibly. His mouth hung open as his gaze roamed over Noctis' clothing of choice.

The dress was simple; casual, compared to most of the other outfits the blonde had seen in that closet ( _ "Most of these were gifts from my really supportive father, and he only buys the best." _ , was his reasoning) but it was in no way less flattering. The navy blue A-line dress dress flowed down to Noctis' knees after hugging his slim waist with a thin, red belt. The top half of the dress had a scoop neck with sleeves that ended at the bend of his elbow, and was decorated in horizontal navy and white stripes, giving it a vaguely sailor-esque look to it. The red, high-heeled, suede pumps elongated his legs and added a bit of height, shaping his legs. And, yeah, all of that was well and good, but Prompto was  _ much _ too enamored with the way the overhead lights played on his best friend's glossy, red lips. Stormy blues gazed at him through full, fluttering lashes framed in a winged liner and shimmering, nude-toned eyelids, just a touch of pink on his high cheekbones.

And Prompto's mouth was  _ dry _ . Head empty. No thoughts.

Wait- no. That was wrong.

One thought.

_ 'Oh my Gods, he's beautiful.' _

Which, okay,  _ yeah _ , this was Noctis Lucis Caelum he was talking about. Good looks practically ran in his bloodline and girls swooned left and right for the man whenever they walked the streets. But this- this was  _ something else _ . He felt like he was meeting the man for the first time, all over again; sweaty hands, audible swallows, and a brain that refused to form words over the sound of his own heartbeat. Even Noctis'  _ walk _ became different as he walked a small circle in front of the blonde, hips swaying and back straight. He walked as though he were floating, each step lighter and easier than the last beside the heels. It was obvious now that this-  _ this _ \- was Noctis at his best. Noctis as  _ himself _ ; free. The coy smile he wore as their eyes met again was like a punch to the gut that left Prompto wanting to fall to his knees and  _ beg _ for more.

"Well?" Noctis spun around after missing his hair a bit, playfully. The skirt flew out, revealing a bit of thigh, and Prompto was helpless. It was all his eyes could see before the dress fell back into place. Noctis didn't seem to notice. He smiled, happy. Teasing. "What do you think?"

The freckled man gave another dry swallow, attempting to find the words that continued to elude him. "Y-you… you're  _ beautiful _ ." He gripped his thighs to hold back the urge to touch him like some porcelain doll. To run the pads of his fingers over the material of his dress, his silky black hair, his cheekbones, his lips…  _ 'Gods damned those fucking lips.' _ Prompto had never been one to refuse skinship between the two of them. He'd hug, cuddle, and casually touch Noctis and he was  _ always _ so accepting of it despite the way he detested the touch of others to a fault. But the desire in which Prompto wanted to hold Noctis close was different in a way that the air is different after the rains; there all the same but thicker, heavier. In the way that Christmas lights feel different when the holidays are over but they're still out on the lawn. In the way the breeze changes wind and suddenly your hair is blowing in a different direction. It was the same fluttering in his stomach that he felt while kissing Gladiolus or when Regis whispered pet names into his ear. He felt as though, in this moment, if he held Noctis, he would  _ break _ him.

Like the heat of a fire that didn't know its own destruction.

So he stayed put, staring up at him with his mouth still open, eyes still as wide as saucers, and his grip tight on his thighs laying just a little, taking in the way his compliment seemed to get to Noctis. The man's rose-dusted cheeks glowed deeper as his eyes cast downward and to the side. Innocent, at a glance.  _ 'Coy',  _ is what Prompto knew it to be without inherently knowing; an ability to understand Noctis on an almost molecular level after being so close for so many years. Noctis, taking in the praise as if he were a plant, dry and thirsting for it.  _ Thriv _ ing in it, as he was always meant to.

And Prompto didn't quite know how to handle it.

Noctis rubbed his lips together a bit, smearing the gloss over them before hesitantly meeting the blonde's gaze through his heavy lashes. "...Really?" And Gods, even his  _ voice _ was different, now. Airy, subtly confident, demure yet tantalizing. And somehow, still  _ genuinely _ unsure; as if he didn't know he was knocking the air from Prompto's lungs with his every word. An endearing demeanor that had the blonde's ears ringing.

Prompto licked his lips before swallowing a third time. "Y-yeah." His voice was so hoarse. Why was it so  _ hoarse _ ?

Noctis smiled, small and pretty. For a few seconds, that was all there was; stormy eyes that called sunny irises like a magnetic pull and goosebumps along freckled skin. And then his face lit up with what was apparently an amazing idea. Noctis stepped close and leaned into his friend's personal space. "Wanna try it, too?!"

The question was like a bucket of ice water. Prompto leaned back and bit his lower lip, brows knit in hesitation. The Caelum looked so beautiful, so  _ natural _ in dresses like these and makeup like that, but…  _ 'I'd look like a ragdoll by comparison…' _ He tried not to let his own body image get to him. He knew what he was, what he used to be. He lived every day with lanky limbs and striped, scarred skin. With freckles that marred his pale skin like dirt and hair that could hardly seem to be tamed. His clumsy, awkward personality and inability to walk too far without tripping on his own two feet.

Noctis was  _ perfection _ and he was…

...he was nothing.

He cleared his throat. "M-me?! I… I dunno… I don't even know where to start or the first thing about make-up!"

Noctis wasn't deterred. "That's what you have me for, stupid. I can pick something simple out and do a bit of make-up on you? Come on, it'll be  _ fun _ !"

Prompto frowned. Looked away.. "But… won't I look…  _ bad _ …?" He watched the little twinkle slowly fade from his before friend's eyes, that glossy smile fading, and he hated himself for it. Gladiolus and Regis told him all the time, how beautiful he was. But compliments like those are easy to take when you're naked and writhing beneath someone, too focused on the feeling of their fingers along your skin and theirs lips upon yours to pay the words too much mind. When the moment ends and he's laying in bed, alone with his thoughts, he can never find it in himself to believe them. They're just words… How could he believe he was worth  _ anything _ comparable to the men around him? How could a star's light be seen between the moon's rays…?

Noctis furrowed his brows and quirked his head to the side, fingers ghosting over Prompto's hands until the blonde gave in and entwined their fingers. "...You won't know that until you try it… And besides, I've never thought you looked bad. Not ever. So I don't think that'll change just because you wear a skirt."

Prompto huffed out a laugh and shook his head.  _ 'This guy… Such a way with words… What is this, some Netflix drama?' _ But he couldn't deny the way Noctis' opinion on his looks made his heart stutter and the corners of his lips tip up in a sudden bout of happiness.  _ 'If it's for Noct…'  _ He sighed, long and suffering, but the tone that held no ire and the smile that came along with it infected Noctis. "I guess I could try it, just this once, then."

Noctis hopped up immediately, the skirt of his dress bouncing a bit with him. "I'll pick out something nice, I promise."

The freckled man didn't understand Noctis' excitement over wanting to see him dolled up as well. But, if he had to, he'd probably think that there was comfort and solidarity in having a friend open enough to experience it with him, if only once. And, yeah… he could understand that. Everyone deserved to feel normal in their own skin. And if putting on a dress would do that for the Caelum, Prompto would do it. He watched Noctis bound away with a fond smile before calling out, "But  _ just _ this once, got it?"

"Got it!"

**…**

"Don't look."

"I'm  _ not _ ."

"Because I swear, I'll punch you. You can only see the final product."

"I  _ know _ ."

Noctis could probably count every freckle on Prompto's face. Hell, he  _ had _ \- many times, in fact. It's just that the number always eluded him for some reason or another and he'd have to start all over again, in time... And that was fine. He loved Prompto's freckles. It's what made him unique and stand out amongst the crowd of generally-brunette Insomnians. He'd never cover them- never. Not for anything. Concealer had no place on Prompto's face and as long as Noctis was around he'd make sure that remained fact. Every freckle was a little jewel, precious and unique. Something to be treasured.

"Don't poke my eye out.", Prompto whimpered again. He couldn't help but twitch and squint as the pencil bore down along the outer corner of his eyelid, making his eyes water despite himself.

Noctis frowned, his brows pinched together in concentration. "Well if you'd look up and don't blink like I  _ told _ you to, you wouldn't  _ be _ in danger of having your eye poked."

"Dude- I'm  _ trying _ .", he chuckled. "How do women- and you- even  _ do _ this so often?"

"Practice. Lots and lots of practice… YouTube tutorials helped, too." Noctis breathed his own puff of laughter before sobering and going back in to finish what he'd started.

They say that a freckle is left behind as proof that you've been kissed by an Astral; blessed, perhaps. Which would be ironic considering his friend's general talent at somehow drawing in the worst luck, not to mention how broke he was most of the time... But if that was true, Prompto's Astral had been greedy, leaving no room for anyone else to do so amongst the constellations of brown dots that covered his pale body. ……………And that was fine, too… mostly.

Except for when it wasn't.

Unfortunately, having to concentrate on applying make-up meant no opportunity to recount those lovely freckles on Prompto's cheekbones. But what it  _ did _ gift Noctis was the rare opportunity to be so close. His hand had a delicate grip along Prompto's jaw, his lips parted slightly, and their breaths were close enough to fan over their faces, sneaking in with every little inhale between them. He watched Prompto's lashes flutter with the strain not to blink, felt more than saw the bob of his adam's apple with a nervous swallow, and became enraptured with the dust of pink that tinted his cheekbones, naturally and with abundance, as they usually were.

And it was in this small, insignificant frame of time that Noctis had a singular, dangerous thought:

_ 'It isn't fair. I want to leave my mark, too.' _

He leaned back and turned his friend's head left and right, scrutinizing his work and making sure the winged liner was perfectly symmetrical, even as he mentally kicked himself in the nuts over that thought. And when he was satisfied, he put the liner away and grabbed the lipstick next. His heart rate pounded in his ears as he uncapped it, slowly revealing the color.

_ 'No. Nope. Nope nope nope, you did  _ not _ just say that. You didn't.' _

Noctis wasn't blind. Prompto was clumsy and goofy, yeah, but…  _ cute _ . Really cute. More than a few times during their friendship he'd thought this, more or less. And he'd be lying if he said he'd never wanted to give the thought more interest. But- it was  _ wrong _ , wasn't it? To think of your best friend in ways no best friend should. To wonder what his skin would taste like, how sensitive he might or might not be, or if he was vocal or quiet, dominant or submissive… It felt  _ wrong _ to wonder about those types of things when your friend was the literal  _ sun _ ; laughing and bearing his soul to you during sleepless nights or shoving an entire taco into his mouth or just-  _ being there _ for you.

But, then again, those thoughts also shouldn't have been reserved for his own  _ father _ of all people, either. But that's neither here nor there.

The fact of the matter was that Prompto was  _ Prompto.  _ He wasn't  _ like _ them- could  _ never _ be like them... There was just something about Prompto that just screamed  _ 'innocence' _ . Perhaps it was the way Noctis had been viewing him through rose-colored glasses all these years, blocking out any and all sexual thoughts about his best friend adamantly for the sake of their friendship, despite even discussing how the blonde had always wanted to climb Gladiolus like a tree. He'd even shut down any inquiries the freckled man had of Noctis' own sex life to avoid the topic (mostly because his sex life had only involved his father, which wasn't something he could really say so casually, but he digresses).

_ 'I thought that Prom and  _ Dad _ would never be like that  _ together _ either, but here we are...' _ , his mind tried to reason, even a bit bitterly, but he shook his head despite the way his heart began to beat faster at the hauntingly lewd recollection and the swell of jealousy that accompanied it.

Prompto looked at the lipstick slightly off-put, one brow raised in skepticism when the tube grew closer to his face. "Are you sure that's my color? I think I'm more of a plum."

Noctis smirked and huffed a laugh before grasping the blonde's chin once more to hold him still and steady him. And if their faces were a bit closer now than last time, he refused to acknowledge it. "...I don't have plum, sorry." The lipstick met Prompto's parted lower lip and glided over the surface, staining it steadily.

The blonde pouted just after the initial contact and received a light smack on his knee when the action caused the Noctis to mess up and draw out of the lines. As he went for a make-up removal wipe, Prompto muttered out under his breath, "But bright  _ red _ ?"

Noctis corrected the mistake easily. "It's the one I'm wearing." He faked a puppydog pout. "...You telling me you don't like it...?" The terror at putting Noctis down combined with the sheer array of emotions cycling through Prompto's head was adorable and Noctis laughed, genuine and light. Before Prompto could say anything he lightly smacked his knee again. "That was a  _ joke- _ now stop moving your mouth before I make you look like The Joker."

He would never, of course. Not when this was his one and only chance to see the freckled man dolled up.

But Prompto didn't have to know that.

Noctis focused all of his attention on Prompto's lips once more as he drug the lipstick back and forth. As he tainted that pink into a deep, vibrant red, his mind began to wonder yet again. For some reason the thoughts just weren't  _ going away _ this time; weren't staying hidden beneath the layers of his normal sensibility. Prompto's lashes fluttered, his eyes never leaving the focused expression on Noctis' face, and as he pretended not to notice the slight uptick in Prompto's breathing the thoughts began to beat against Noctis' head like moths banging against the glass of a lightbulb; relentless and desperate. Disruptive. He thought about how soft Prompto's lips seemed, how they would feel against his own, how the blonde might react to such an impulsive decision...

He wanted to smudge that red all over his face and kiss him raw.

And it was in that moment that Noctis had another dangerous thought.

' _...And why  _ shouldn't _ I leave my mark?' _

"...N-Noct?" Noctis' eyes snapped up to Prompto's, now  _ entirely _ too close, wide and blinking unevenly. He hadn't even realise the weak grip along his shoulders, their lips barely separated anymore.

"O-oh. Sorry." He leaned back hastily and placed the cap back on the apparently long-forgotten tube of lipstick as Prompto continued to stare at him. That pale face was now tinted with copious pink,, from the tips of his ears down to where his collarbone disappeared beneath his shirt. He wondered if Prompto's skin would be hot to the touch there. Like a fever. With a dry swallow, Noctis quirked his head behind Prompto, in the direction of his full-body mirror. "You can take a look, now." Prompto didn't move for a long moment. His eyes held a question that his red lips weren't asking. Noctis stood up to avoid whatever feeling was trying to come over him next, hoping that breaking eye contact would help. "Well? Go  _ on _ ."

Prompto had  _ 'nervous' _ written all over his face as he struggled to stand up in the simple wedge sandals that now donned his feet. He took small, wobbly steps like a newborn lamb, unsure and arms splayed out beside his body as though he were finding his balance on a tightrope. Noctis could tell he wanted to gnaw on his bottom lip, but hastily settled for the quick swipe of his tongue instead as he slowly found his way. Noctis' dark eyes raked over the blonde's slender legs. Littered in freckles, they seemed nearly twice as long thanks to the elevation and the lack of clothes to cover them. Tastefully short- nothing  _ too _ daring for his best friend's first time-, the black skirt Prompto wore flared a bit towards the bottom, giving him a bit more shape. The waistband of the skirt sat on his natural waistline, giving him a more feminine look that showed off the already natural but now emphasized curve of his hips. Noctis' lips cut into an indulgent smirk as he watched Prompto turn around, that black skirt swaying with the simple yet captivating movement. Prompto's hands hovered at his chest as he took small steps into Noctis' walk-in closet where his full-length mirror was found. Nervous. Shy.  _ 'So cute.' _ , he thought, trailing not too far behind him. The cream-colored, long-sleeved sweater that was tucked into his black skirt hugged his chest loosely, yet accentuated his thin arms and slightly broad shoulders.  _ 'So, so cute. Unbelievably cute, Prom.' _

He was jealous, almost. Prompto was almost  _ too _ beautiful like this; trembling, shy and nervous, steps small and delicate as wide, impossible bright blue eyes stared at his own reflection in the mirror. Excited. Mesmerized, even, at the person who stared back. But that jealousy was quickly and easily pushed away by the pure, glittering  _ pride _ that filled the Cealum's ribcage. Prompto's audible little gasp of shock and awe took the breath from his throat. Their eyes met within the glass of the mirror for only a moment before Prompto looked back at his own body. He turned his face left and right. Played idly with the edge of his skirt and his body turned next.

"I… I look…" The freckled man's painted lips parted, but Noctis finished the thought for him.

"...Amazing." And it wasn't spoken with speculation. It was solid; a block of truth, almost whispered but ringing within his ears like the loudest echo imaginable; something that would stay with him for hours. Days, even.

Noctis watched the blush paint his high cheekbones in that beautiful shade of pink that put every other color in the rainbow to shame. And it's then that he had his third, dangerous thought of the day.

_ 'I'm  _ going _ to leave my mark on him.' _

Dangerous because now he wasn't allowing himself to block it out or feel shame for what he was saying. He'd spent so long holding them back and pretending that they didn't exist that every nerve in his body felt as though it had been wound up taut forever.  _ Too _ long.

Ideas bounced within Noctis' head, behind his dark eyes and whispering unimaginable things into his ears, as he took step by careful step behind Prompto. Until he was directly behind him, the blonde so enthralled with his own reflection that he didn't notice a thing.  _ 'Gladiolus has him. Dad has him… He's clearly okay with sharing his attention… Why not give some of it to me, too?' _ After all, what would be the problem…? What was one more set of hands, one more pair of lips, another voice amongst the ones that have moaned praises against that smooth, freckled skin…?

Desire prickled the tips of Noctis' fingers as he flexed them and rippled down his spine like electricity, his mind racing faster and faster with every idea and speculation. He felt like a child in a candy store, left alone and told  _ 'no' _ while all the other children picked out whatever treat they desired.

And Noctis  _ desired _ Prompto. So, so badly, as though he was  _ starving _ ; a dog with a piece of meat dangling, close enough to see but just out of reach. Again, as if he'd been told  _ 'no' _ . He'd had his best friend's undivided trust and love for so many years now that those years were too much to count. But, suddenly, it didn't feel like  _ enough _ . Not when others  _ knew _ more.  _ Received _ more.  _ Gave _ more…

And Noctis had never been good at being told  _ 'no'. _

Perhaps it was his true nature, spoiled and used to normally getting everything his heart desired whether by cash or connections and status. Or perhaps it was jealousy, burning through his veins whenever he imagined his father touching Prompto in any way he desired while Noctis had sat on his hands, unwilling to overstep their friendship. But whatever the reason, Noctis was tired of fighting his urges. He was over walking on eggshells.

If Prompto could accept his father, he could accept him too.

Prompto hardly noticed Noctis creeping closer behind him until the Caelum's chin rested atop his shoulders and the weight of his palms along his waist, causing him to jump in mild surprise. But he laughed the insignificant scare off with a bright smile as he met his best friend's eyes in the mirror once again. Perhaps the clothes were affecting him too, like they seemed to do Noctis. He felt lighter, somehow; carefree and bubbly. So he didn't think twice about leaning back into the warmth of Noctis' chest and quirking his head to rest against the other man's. They looked so-  _ odd _ , like this; just two girls, hanging out, teasing one another and remaining close, as other girls might do. It wasn't their usual style. Not like  _ this _ anyways. Not this-  _ close _ . Intimate, almost, though he knew better than to think that. And he didn't…  _ dislike _ it, maybe… Now that he thought about it, it was comparable to how Regis would hold him... His hot palms, grabbing what skin it could and pulling, possessively, dragging him closer; sucked into the spiral of his affections. How Regis' eyes started fires beneath his skin with a single glance and brought the most sinful pleas to the tip of his tongue in only a heartbeat...

The thought brought heat to his face, so he mentally scolded himself and forced the memory away. It was far too sinful a comparison to think about. Dumb, even.  _ 'Noct doesn't like me that way. H-he wouldn't… hold me like that!' _ But then their eyes met once more between the cold, glass reflection and the look in Noctis' eyes was like none other Prompto had ever seen before on the man. His eyes, deep and trained only on him, sent a hot shiver down his spine that he couldn't shake off. He curled his toes in his platforms before taking a careful, even breath, heart suddenly beating harder within his chest. Those eyes that resembled Noctis' late mother's radiated energy so alike to his father's pale irises that it was almost uncanny. Nearly identical, that ghost of a desire he dare not think about.

_ '...Noct?' _

Noctis couldn't stop the smirk of satisfaction as he watched Prompto's adams apple Bob with a swallow that he could almost  _ feel _ , as close as he was. So tainted with sin yet so deliciously innocent when it came to even the barest look, the blonde didn't even realize how much he was blushing with merely a simple touch along his waist and a head perched along his shoulder. Noctis was careful to keep their gazes locked as he turned his head, his lips brushing against the shell of his best friend's ear, drawing a shudder from the blonde that only served to stroke the Caelum's ego. Coy, he pretended not to notice. "...Wanna know a secret?"

"... _Yeah...?_ " Gods, when did Noctis' voice get so _breathy-_ without his permission _?_? Pathetically and against his better intentions, Prompto could feel his knees go a bit weak at the sound of it alone. But he did his best to stay upright and outwardly unaffected. It was like he'd somehow entered some alternate reality, almost, without even knowing he'd done so; suspended in some kind of invisible tension that he couldn't make sense of. Noctis' fingers began to dance along his hips, massaging into his skin before finding more words, and it felt almost- _sexual_. Prompto bit his lip and tried not to instinctively back up further into his best friend's heat. They'd cuddled closer than this before. It should be nothing.

It  _ should _ be nothing.

"...He likes skirts like these." Noctis' hands left Prompto's hips to glide down the length of Prompto's skirt instead. His fingers eventually met the end and he gave a small tug, emphasizing his words. Those dark eyes dropped away from sky blues to follow the movement, almost enthralled with his own actions. As though even he didn't know exactly what he was doing or where this would go.

_ 'This doesn't feel like 'nothing'.' _

Prompto watched them, too. How pale they were compared to the black wrapped around his waist, thighs, and hips. He could feel the heat of them, even through the fabric, and he swallowed. "...'H-he'...?" The unspoken person his best friend was talking about went right over blonde hair. Almost an afterthought compared to the slow, calculated grace with which Noctis skimmed his fingers up and down Prompto's clothed thigh. But he struggled to keep clarity. 

This felt-  _ dangerous _ , somehow... even though it shouldn't. He'd been closer to Noctis than this. And yet… And yet every glide of those fingers along his body, every whispered syllable, so close to his ear, had his mouth going dry and his cock shamefully twitching to life beneath his skirt at an embarassing rate. He watched in half horror and half arousal as it began to tent his skirt, revealing his shame to his best friend through the mirror with every lingering, languid caress.

The question went unanswered. Noctis knew that through context clues he'd catch on eventually, anyways. So instead he continued, as if the blonde hadn't asked anything at all. His eyes looked down and took in the growing tent beneath Prompto's skirt and he held back a satisfied little hum. He nibbled along his bottom lip in order to hold back a triumphant smirk.

_ 'Not yet.', _ he thought.

"...Skirts, complemented with heels, accentuate the legs and ass…" Noctis' fingers relinquished the hold on the edge of Prompto's skirt almost reluctantly before drifting to finally touch the skin of his best friend's bare thigh, just below. Prompto's breath hitched with the action, his body jumping slightly beneath the Caelum's chin. His fingers drifted up, slowly, disappearing steadily beneath the black fabric of the skirt, giving Prompto time to resist if he wanted to, but Noctis inwardly preened as he, in fact, didn't. His eyes darted up from Prompto's now prominent erection to instead gage the other boy's reaction. Prompto's eyes were locked on his hands, steadily dragging the skirt up with them with every passing inch.

Prompto's heart was beginning to kick into overdrive. What  _ was _ this? What were they even  _ doing _ ? It was wrong, wasn't it? They shouldn't. They're  _ friends _ ...

He opened his mouth, prepared to speak as much, but Noctis stepped closer then, closing the gap between their bodies softly, and his breath hitched as he felt his best friend's now apparent erection press into the swell of his ass. Hot and throbbing in time with the other boy's excitement, it numbed any sense the blonde had. Instead of moving forward, of breaking apart, Prompto pressed back, tentatively, swallowing back a moan at the surprised, wonton groan that Noctis rumbled against his ear at the wordless acceptance.  _ 'This is- a joke. Right? It's just Noctis' way of getting back at me for sleeping with his dad. Haha- good one, Noct!' _

But it wasn't a joke. There was nothing but concentration and lust in that gaze as Noctis continued, eyes locked once again with his own through the mirror. His voice a lower, now. The rumble of a tiger beneath the brush, stalking its prey.

"...He likes to see you walking around in them. Doing anything, really… Teasing him…"

'... _ He?' _

Oh.  _ Oh _ .

Noctis was speaking about his  _ father _ all this time, wasn't he… Vaguely, Prompto recalled asking for clarification on that.

_ 'Noct is giving  _ me _ advice on what his  _ dad _ likes- On how to  _ seduce _ him _ . _ ' _

Even Prompto's wildest dreams wouldn't have been able to conjure up something as taboo as  _ this _ . And yet- And yet it was-  _ Gods, _ it was way sexier than it had any fucking right to be…

Unbidden, before he could stop himself, Prompto began to roll with his best friend's words, suddenly  _ very _ attuned to them... He imagined himself, the way he was now, walking circles around Regis' desk; slow, tantalizing, coy as he batted his lashes and swayed his hips... He imagined Regis, pent-up and frustrated beyond comprehension, pushing him against a bookshelf and placing himself between Prompto's legs, his large hands mimicking Noctis' very  _ real _ touches against his skin...

_ 'Oh Gods. Oh, fuck.' _ Prompto whimpered as Noctis' fingers teased around the waistband of his underwear. Their eyes locked before, after only barely a second of hesitation(?), Noctis delved inside and grasped his half-hard length in one hand.

This wasn't a joke anymore. This was very,  _ very _ real. And so was the moan the blonde released within the silence of the closet before his hand could come up and silence it.

Noctis struggled not to grind against the blonde as he pumped his cock to life, stroke by painfully slow stroke. He only added the barest hint of pressure, teasing Prompto every so often with something tighter, something  _ better _ , hoping to draw out more of his adorable sounds. He kept his dark eyes locked onto every twitch of the blonde's expression through the mirror, burning it to memory as if it would be his last. He'd never been one for dominance, choosing instead to indulge in his pillow princess tendencies more often than he'd openly admit, but there was something about Prompto that made him want to be rough. Want to dominate, in every sense of the word. Every press of red lips and bob of his throat as he swallowed only served to fan that possessive flame. The way those bright, blue eyes grew watery with desperation and the little whines and silent pleas came forth like prayers of Noctis' name ro  _ readily _ had his skin  _ burning.. _ . Prompto looked like the most seductive version of a deer in the headlights the Caelum could have ever imagined and it tugged at his most basic urges. He wanted to  _ ruin _ him, utterly and completely. Break him apart and piece him back together. Until Noctis' name was the only thing Prompto was able to speak. And even then, Noctis wanted him  _ more _ ...

The black-haired boy groaned before continuing, breaths heavy and the pace of his fist increasing along his best friend's leaking, twitching cock. He wasn't about to forget his train of thought, no. He wanted Prompto to think of it; situations he himself had been in with the older Caelum. Situations that he now thirsts to make a reality between the other two men in his life. "...He likes it when you wrap your legs around his waist when he fucks into you."

Prompto moaned, open and breathy and  _ frustrated _ . Freckled fingers scrambled for purchase before eventually settling with fisting Noctis' dress and holding on for dear life as his best friend continued to do as he pleased, the unfamiliar warmth of his best friend's hardened length against his backside. " _ Fuck,  _ Noct..." Prompto pictured it: large, calloused hands holding him up by his ass as he gets split in half against the wall, shoulder blades biting into the hard surface behind him and chest burning up as he panted fast and hard against Regis' neck. The draft he felt against his bare thighs, contrasting with the divine heat of his best friend's hand and body, complemented the image of his heeled feet latched around the base of Regis' back perfectly… He was beyond asking for answers or reasons. All that mattered was the spark of lust that rolled down Prompto's spine to settle in his pulsating cock.

" _ Noct…! Please…! _ " Said Caelum smirked at the sound of his name, tinted with so much desperation. One of his hands released its grip on Prompto's hip to instead pull aside the now annoying sweater that continued to block him from Prompto's freckled shoulder, finally exposing it to his hungry lips. They'd been so  _ bored _ , having nothing to do as his own length lay aching and hard against the swell of his best friend's ass. He gave a minimal, experimental tease of a grind as he kissed a path up the blonde's neck, slow and wet.  _ "Good boy.",  _ he breathed. A tone meant only for Prompto despite the lack of anyone else in the whole mansion to hear them, deep and raspy; a test, to see how the other boy reacted and whether or not his actions had the green light. Because beneath the desire, the very real, raw, life-long  _ friend _ part of Noctis didn't want to fuck this up.  _ Couldn't _ fuck this up. He wanted the world for Prompto and if that world excluded this side of Noctis, he'd tuck it away and never come back to it.

But, to his relief, again Prompto moaned, his grip on Noctis tightening with a trembling of his adorable knees.

_ 'So fucking cute.' _

Noctis wanted to kiss them. Litter the inside of Prompto's legs with kisses until there was no space left untouched. To worship every inch of the blonde's skin...

But that was for another time.

So, instead, he sunk his teeth softly into the flesh of Prompto's reddened earlobe and tightened his fist around his swollen member. The blonde was blushing hard now, glittering sky blue eyes under heavy lids tracing over the smeared trail of red and saliva that now colored his pale shoulder and neck; remnants of lipstick, spread out like the most beautiful painting he could imagine. And then his eyes settled back to the source, Noctis' lips in a way that sent a hot rush of excitement straight to Noctis' groin.

**"** Noct…", Prompto uttered, needy and hoarse between labored, uneven breaths. He wanted to know  _ more _ . More than just the words that painted such an explicit picture. He needed to see an end to this fantasy they'd created together, playing in the back of his mind yet forgotten entirely in lieu of the man standing right behind him, more tangible and obtainable than any man from a fleeting fantasy. With just the few pumps up and down his shaft by his best friend's hand he felt like he was already teetering on the edge, his teeth clacking together with the strength in which he set his jaw to combat the overwhelming sensations. Prompto needed release like he needed _ air _ , and he wanted Noctis to give it to him, no one else.

_ Damn _ the consequences and every alarm bell in his nervous system that told him this could be the beginning of their end _. _

Because right now, in that moment, a deeper feeling surging and pulsing to life from within his heaving chest suggested that this could be the  _ beginning _ of something. Something electric and wonderful and  _ terrifying _ , all at once.

The sensations, the  _ desire _ , sung in Prompto's blood, rung in his ears, and it emboldened him in a way he hadn't felt since his first time with Gladiolus. Without a second thought or an inkling of his usual anxiety, the blonde wrenched himself from his friend's hold and turned around to face him head-on.

"P-Prom?" Noctis' eyes widened in fear. His stomach dropped to his feet when his best friend pushed off him. The uncertainty had his blood running cold and it was all he could do just to mutter Prompto's name.  _ I fucked it up. I fucked us up.' _ The Caelum opened his mouth. Worked it around the tightness in his throat as he attempted to form the right words.  _ 'Prom- shit- I'm so fucking sorry!' _

So many things he wanted to say, but his eyes widened further as hands fisted needily into the front of his dress. And before the Caelum could utter a single word of frenzied apology or explanation the sweetest, neediest whimper he'd ever heard spilled forth from Prompto's painted lips. Time seemed to stop for a time neither man could determine as their gazes met, hot and electric, unobstructed by the mirror since this all began. Noctis' eyes flickered over every sparkle in Prompto's irises, danced across the constellation of freckles that covered his flushed, sharp cheekbones, to linger over the crimson of his slightly parted lips.

And then, like a rubber band, the tension snapped.

Prompto tugged Noctis closer and surged forward, bringing their lips together in an almost violent clash. It only took the Caelum a split second to react before he was pressing back just as eagerly. Blindly, he pushed Prompto as their lips slid against one another's and their hands groped along their bodies until his back collided with the mirror. Prompto gasped at the sudden, cold contact and released a high-pitched whimper when his best friend's tongue breached past his parted lips. The sound quickly melted into a muffled moan though when strong, familiar hands gripped his hip bones. Noctis overtook the space between their bodies until there was none. And when he rolled his hips into Prompto's, their clothed elections rubbing against one another, Noctis groaned low in his chest.

Their lips only parted when the Caelum's hand delved back beneath Prompto's skirt to take his leaking cock into his hand once more, fully intent on picking up where he had left off. The back of Prompto's head hit the mirror as he moaned, long and airy, hips rolling up to meet the downward stroke of the other man's fist. Noctis pulled pack to look at Prompto and a smug smirk tugged at his lips when he saw how much the blonde's lipstick had smudged, making him look messy and debauched; like some horn housewife who'd cheated on her husband. More than likely, he looked the same.

" _ Noct." _ , Prompto all but moaned, drawing the other man's attention in a snap. His lips trembled with the effort to hold in his desperation, body puddy in the other man's hands as he pleaded,  _ "Keep going. Tell me how he likes it." _

Noctis' smirk grew tenfold and he leaned forward to whisper the words directly into the blonde's heated ears. This time he'd take from his most recent experiences. Ones that had his untouched cock twitching with the urge to do it all over again under Prompto's incredulous stare. His body was already beginning to burn up from the inside out just  _ thinking _ about it… It took his once innocent enough idea of taking his best friend for himself and twisted it into something far more sinful, far more  _ corrupt _ …

And, strangely enough, Noctis didn't feel shame in it. No disgust, no jealousy. Just…  _ calm _ ... Contentedness, even.

Though that didn't mean his heartrate didn't double as he rasped, "...He  _ loves _ to see those pretty, painted lips around his cock as he ruins you." His fist tightened around Prompto's cock almost absently as his mind reeled, busy imagining the three of them, together; the blonde's lips wrapped tightly around his father's thick member as Noctis took Regis' mouth with his own, hand stroking Prompto's hair and helping to set a brutal pace. And when Prompto bucked into his fist, another salacious moan tumbling out to reverberate along the walls of unused clothes, Noctis could no longer stop himself from touching himself. He kissed Prompto deeply as he lifted the skirt of his dress and pulled his dick from the confines of his panties. With only a bit of rearranging, he had both their members in his hand.

Prompto's knees went weak. His hands scrambled along his best friend's back for purchase, desperate to ground himself. Noctis kissed differently than Gladiolus or Regis and it was exillerating. Noctid kissed, though rushed and desperate as it was between them, as though he were painting a picture. Each flick and roll of his tongue was careful, tender, and deep, thoroughly licking him into a mess of desire. That, combined with the hot, pulsating weight of his cock against Prompto's in that now vice-like grip drew forth desires Prompto didn't know rested within him.

They broke apart once more, panting into each other's mouths as Noctis sought their pleasure. Prompto's whimpered when his best friend's mouth kissed along the hollow of his throat and nibbled at the sensitive flesh. "Please-! Please, Noct, I want to touch you too." Tentatively, the blonde placed one of his own hands alongside Noctis', his eyes begging to please. To return  _ one _ iota of pleasure Noctis was giving him. Because he was going to burst at any moment, he could  _ feel _ it, his toes curling in his attempt to bade the orgasm until he could get his best friend there as well.

And who was Noctis, to deny that face? That voice? That  _ look... _ ?

He was weak to it.

With a growl, the Caelum nodded before claiming Prompto's lips once more. The two of them together worked their hands over their combined lengths, sloppy with their own precum to glide their movements. They kissed like there was no tomorrow. As if this moment would be ripped from their grasp, never to be seen again. And when their kiss was broken again, it was only for Noctis to grunt out, "You know what he loves-  _ fuck, Prom-! _ -M-most of- all?"

Prompto didn't know how Noctis found the ability to keep looking so smug as he obviously fought to stay off his orgasm and prolong their romp. He, himself, was on the verge of tears, body trembling and shaking so badly he could hardly stand. But Noctis gripped a freckled thigh and brought it to cradle along his waist, hands leaving hot fingerprints deep in Prompto's freckled skin, and he somehow found the breath to answer,  _ "...What? Tell me." _

Noctis licked and nibbled along Prompto's bottom lip, stalling what he planned to say for only a second longer. His heart felt like it just might explode and he could feel Prompto grow  _ that _ much harder beneath his palm. He was going to cum any second now. "...When I call him  _ 'Daddy' _ as I bounce on his thick cock."

Prompto jolted with a load moan. Mind utterly blank and his ears ringing, almost drowning out what Noctis said, his orgasm hit him with the force of a freight train. His nails dug into Noctis' shoulder blade when the other man's hand kept moving along their spent shafts, Noctis' orgasm hitting him and splattering over the blonde's abdomen and dripping down their fingers to combine with his own spend.  _ 'Fuck, that was… amazing…' _

Vaguely, he was aware of Noctis' forehead resting against his own, their sweaty bangs tangling together. He felt his breath puff over his lips in their closeness, and he didn't shy away from the almost hesitant way Noctis pressed a kiss to them, tender and slow and so  _ so _ vulnerable… Prompto sighed into the contact, moving his mouth in turn and bathing in the warmth that blossomed from his chest at the feeling of the Caelum's hands at either side of his face, keeping him close, his touch a welcome anchor as his mind remained floating on cloud nine.

But then the cloud fell away and his brain  _ registered _ what had just been said.

Prompto pulled back from Noctis' lips as if the contact had shocked him and he stared at his best friend's apprehensive expression with a look of absolute shock. "D-did I- Did I just hear that right?" When Noctis didn't immediately answer, his mouth set in a tight line and his brows furrowing, Prompto felt like he just might feint.  _ 'Noct and- his  _ Dad _ …! Mr. Caelum and- and  _ Noct _ a-are… fucking…?!' _

It was  _ inconceivable _ . Prompto would have never thought to imagine it, not in  _ any _ amount of lifetimes.

Noctis nodded. He suddenly looked so much paler than previously, his eyes reflecting so much fear it had Prompto's heart aching despite the way this revelation had his head reeling.

But he took a deep breath, slowly, in and out. Collected himself. "For... h-how long, exactly?"

Noctis was quiet at first. Then, without looking away, he whispered, open and vulnerable. "...Since I was of legal age. Every Friday, whenever possible." Another tremor of shock raced down the blonde's spine at that. Suddenly,  _ too _ many things he'd thought about but hadn't found particularly important or intriguing enough to voice were becoming morbidly apparent. "I… We send away the staff… Keep the whole place to ourselves "

A normal person would have pushed Noctis away. Would have called him disgusting and broke everything off. Called the police, even.

But…

But Noct was  _ Noct… _ His best friend through thick and thin, no matter what had happened between them... And he had  _ always _ been the Noct that Prompto knew and loved even without knowing what was going on between the two… As jarring as this all was, knowing about it now didn't inherently change anything about his best friend, nor did it affect their friendship. So at the end of the day, it came down to how  _ Prompto _ felt.

And-  _ fuck _ . Why did the image of Noctis riding his father for all he was worth while screaming  _ 'Daddy' _ so fucking  _ devastatingly _ sexy?!

It wasn't  _ fair _ how the blonde's skirt began to tent once more, his spent cock twitching to life with the urge to see the two men go at it.

Prompto hid his face in his hands when he felt the blush coming on. "Gods… And a  _ Daddy kink _ , too?" He peeked a sky blue eye from between two fingers, changing a look at Noctis. And when their eyes met, he couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips upon seeing his best friend's face slowly melt into relief.

Noctis wrapped his arms around the blonde's shoulders and pulled him in close as laughter bubbled up, warm and light, each wave of previous anxiety ebbing away by the second. "Like you wouldn't believe." Je said it so matter-of-factly that Prompto couldn't help himself but to scoff and join in the laughter as well, shoving Noctis playfully before simply pulling him back in, even closer than before. They stayed like that for a long while, hugging it out over a silence that wasn't entirely comfortable. And when Noctis shifted in the blonde's hold so that he could press slow, comforting open-mouthed kisses at the juncture of his neck and shoulder, he merely sighed in contentment and enjoyed the little shiver that ran down his spine.

Eventually, Noctis stopped to ask a meek and sullen, "...Do you think I'm disgusting now…?"

Prom shook his head. He, himself, wasn't exactly a saint so it wasn't his place to judge. "Not any more disgusting than the guy who cheats on his boyfriend for a fifty year old man." He gave a wry smile.

Noctis chuckled and buried his smile in Prompto's neck. "...Don't let him hear you say that. He's sensitive about his age." The blonde rolled his eyes. "And it's forty." He pulled back and simply looked at his best friend, adoration in his stormy eyes. This time it was Prompto's turn to grasp the Caelum by his cheeks and pull him in for a slow, sultry kiss. One that had the blonde's breath hitching in his throat when Noctis sucked on his lower lip ever so slightly and ground their hips together. Slow and sensual, they took their time exploring each other's mouths. Neither boy could tell you when exactly they had slumped down to sit on the closet floor, but the next time they parted for air Prompto found himself seated atop Noctis' lap, his freckled hands grasping black locks as Noctis sucked another hickey into his collarbone, the once nice sweater the Caelum had let him wear now stretched all to hell and tugged half-way down his shoulders. Hands wondering, Noctis grasped his friend's waist to keep him close as he rolled his hips upward again, enjoying the friction as Prompto groaned, throwing his head back.

"We-", Prompto gasped, the head of his half-hard erection rubbing teasingly against Noctis' stomach as he squirmed, "We should stop." Another round sounded wonderful. But despite how much he wanted it, they still had a lot to talk about.

Noctis hummed a pout against his shoulder but stopped all the same. "Why?" He pulled away to look into Prompto's eyes.

Prompto resisted the puppydog pout. "Because, I…" He pushed Noctis back a bit, giving them space but remaining in his lap. "...I don't know where this leaves...  _ us _ ."

Noctis' brows raised. "...Us?", he repeated.

The blonde gnawed on his lower lip and wrung his hands together in his lap. "Yeah, cause I… I mean… I don't really  _ know _ , and I know this is all so stupid and fucked up on  _ both _ of our ends, but I… I really really  _ like _ you, Noct. And I- well… now that I know what it feels like to  _ have _ you, I… I'm not so sure if I  _ want _ to let it go..." The blonde looked up, hesitantly, at stormy eyes that held the universe in its irises. His whole world, whether he knew it or not until that moment, was right in front of him.

Noctis felt his heart do a summersault inside of his chest and he tightened his hold on Prompto's wasn't marginally, hoping to any God listening that Prompto wouldn't run away from him. He felt it. Deep down, he wanted it too. Wanted to stop pushing down these bone-deep urges to hold Prompto and kiss him and love him as more than just a supportive friend. But… "But… what about-"

Prompto whined. "That's just  _ it! _ I want you but I also don't want to give up Gladiolus.  _ Or _ your Dad. And- yeah- I  _ know _ that that's selfish and  _ fucked up _ . I mean- who am I to just  _ have _ three guys and want to somehow keep them  _ all _ , but I-"

"You already have me, Prom." That stopped the blonde from his rising panic. Prompto shut his mouth before opening it back in surprise and awe. Noctis just chuckled, shaking his head and holding him close. "You've always had me… From the very beginning. And I think you should know by now that I'm not going anywhere. So don't worry about that."

"But-"

"And  _ apparently _ ," He rolled his eyes playfully. "Dad's been smitten with you for a  _ while _ now, so I don't think you have anything to worry about there, either."

" _ But- _ "

"And don't worry about Gladiolus, either. Neither of us are going to make you dump him and what he doesn't know won't hurt him."

Prompto opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, squirming and trying to find something to say, but in the end, he couldn't. Instead, he accepted defeat with a small pout, wrapping his arms around Noctis' neck and resting his head and his shoulder. "...Okay."

Noctis smiled after a while of silence, content with just holding the blonde in their own little world. But then a question he hadn't previously thought to ask appeared in his mind. "So. Does Dad know that I found you guys out?"

The blonde shook his head before placing a kiss on the Caelum's forehead. "

"Nah... I didn't want to freak him out… I kind of panicked and went into damage control mode."

**"** Yeah. Same here, actually…" Suddenly, Noctis had an idea on how to let his father know. A way they  _ all _ would be pleased by. "Holy shit. I have.  _ The _ best idea, Prom."

Prompto chuckled. "Oh no. This sounds bad."

Noctis' mischievous smile was captivating as well as terrifying in the promise that it held. Prompto almost forgot to breathe as their gazes met. "So bad, it's  _ great _ ." The Caelum jumped up from the floor and nearly knocked the blonde over before picking him up to join him. Noctis winked. "Come on, let's clean ourselves up. We've got  _ shopping _ to do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... that happened. 🤣😅  
> I hope it kind of lived up to the long wait...?  
> It's been so long since I've had the inspiration to pump out a fic chapter that I somehow feel like I've lost all ability to write. So its kind of all over the place...  
> One last chapter to go!!!

**Author's Note:**

> On the next chapter, we will catch Prompto's perspective. Will he confront Noctis??? Will Noctis confront him???  
> Find out soon! ;)


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